When national and international issues touch local communities, local leaders can struggle with their role when residents look to them for action or support.
Recently, residents have been asking city councils to do what they can to influence the war waging half a world away between Israel and Hamas, leaving community leaders divided on what their responses should look like, or whether they should respond at all.
Last week, Santa Ana councilmembers split over what their place is in the 2-month-old conflict from the dais in City Hall. Stanton elected officials are expected to continue having that same conversation this week, and it’s been held in council chambers in Huntington Beach, Irvine and elsewhere around Southern California.
“A lot of our residents are, and have family members that have been, directly affected by this conflict,” Stanton City Councilmember Donald Torres said. He pitched his colleagues on having the council adopt on the city’s behalf a resolution in support of the Palestinian people of Gaza, condemning violence committed by both Hamas and Israel, and calling for a ceasefire. The council is expected to vote Tuesday, Dec. 12.
He recognized that some of his own constituents and colleagues have asked, “‘Why would a small city like Stanton choose to take on a resolution like this?’ And the truth is that international issues affect our community, 40% of our residents are born out of this country,” he said. “So, of course, geopolitics is going to affect our residents.”
Councilmember Johnathan Hernandez voiced a similar thought at the last Santa Ana council meeting when he proposed with Councilmember Benjamin Vazquez a resolution in support of Palestine and calling for a permanent ceasefire in the conflict.
“Oftentimes, the matters that we talk about here are very local, but this is a matter that is affecting us internationally,” Hernandez said. “I am proud to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. I also stand…
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