Mayor criticizes cease-fire resolution

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss says the city’s Equity and Empowerment Commission should focus on local issues and not try to draw the city into the Middle East conflict.

The mayor was responding to a discussion item on the commission’s Thursday night meeting agenda that calls for the city to adopt a resolution calling for a cease-fire and return of all hostages in the conflict.

The draft resolution, while calling for the release of the remaining Israeli civilian hostages held by Hamas, also calls for the release of thousands of Palestinians being held in administrative detention by Israel.

The resolution , in its 18 whereas clauses, offers vivid descriptions of the sufferings of Palestinians in the current conflict, but makes only indirect reference to the initial attack on Israel by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that left 1,200 people dead .

The commission’s agenda does not indicate who drafted the resolution or submitted it for the group’s consideration.

Liam Bird, manager of organizational performance and equity for the city, who serves as staff liaison to the commission, did not respond to an email from Evanston Now asking who proposed the resolution.

Asked by Evanston Now about the resolution, Mayor Biss said, “I don’t think the Equity and Empowerment Commission should delve into international issues, even issues like this one about which all Evanstonians have very deep feelings.”

“I agree with their mandate of doing equity work in Evanston — and there’s plenty of that work to be done,” Biss added.

The draft resolution opens with links to a statement Biss issued on Oct. 12 , in which he criticized organizations that address the conflict “without an unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’s murderous attacks.”

Meanwhile, Oakland, California , Monday night became the second city in the San Francisco Bay area to adopt a resolution calling for a cease-fire.

The unanimous vote by Oakland’s City Council followed nearly five hours of public comments from hundreds of speakers at the meeting and weeks of protests.

In Berkeley, California, no cease-fire resolution was before the council, but protestors demanding one disrupted the council meeting Tuesday night.

Cease-fire resolutions were adopted last week in several cities, including Atlanta , Detroit and Seattle .