SF Supervisors Pass Gaza Ceasefire Resolution

- The final 8-3 vote on January 9, 2024, followed intense public debate, with Supervisors Matt Dorsey, Catherine Stefani, and Rafael Mandelman dissenting. - Dissenting supervisors argued the resolution did not sufficiently condemn Hamas's October 7th attack. Supervisor Stefani stated she could not support a measure that didn't "call for the removal of Hamas," while Supervisor Dorsey warned it could send a "dangerous and unthinkable message that terrorism works." - Board President Aaron Peskin introduced a last-minute compromise, shortening the resolution to one page to build consensus. This amended version removed much of the detailed historical "whereas" clauses that were points of contention and focused on more universal statements. - The approved text calls for a sustained ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the delivery of humanitarian aid. It also condemns the "Netanyahu government's attacks" and "Hamas's attack on Israeli civilians," as well as all antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, and Islamophobic rhetoric. - The resolution urges the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress to press for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid. - Hundreds of members of the public attended the supervisors' meetings, with nearly 200 people speaking at a December 5th meeting, almost all in favor of a ceasefire. Supervisor Dean Preston noted it was the highest level of public engagement he had seen on an issue. - Activist groups including the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Bay Area celebrated the vote as a victory resulting from sustained community pressure. - San Francisco joined other Bay Area cities like Oakland and Richmond in passing a ceasefire resolution, becoming the largest U.S. city to do so at the time. Richmond's resolution, one of the first in the nation, accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing," a stronger language than what was passed in San Francisco.