San Jose leaders won’t consider resolution on Gaza conflict

Under pressure from some residents to pass a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, lawmakers in San Jose said Tuesday they would not, citing an “official policy” of not commenting on foreign policy matters.

The statement, signed by Mayor Matt Mahan and all 10 City Council members, comes after San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland and other communities have drawn criticism for issuing cease-fire resolutions. “Members of the community have been pushing for the City Council to pass a resolution on the conflict,” San Jose officials wrote in a joint statement issued by the mayor’s office. “San Jose City Council has an official policy dating back over 40 years not to take positions on matters of U.S. foreign policy.”

The 300-word statement did not include the word “cease-fire.” Officials instead said they “encourage the U.S. government to implore Hamas and Israel to do all they can to work toward a cessation of hostilities.”

The officials said they hoped to “create a basis upon which to unite our community” by not issuing a resolution but by instead “expressing our deep care and respect for the worth and dignity of all people living in Israel and Palestine.”

Following a contentious debate, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors last week passed a resolution calling for the cease-fire, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages in the region. Spearheaded by Supervisor Dean Preston, who is Jewish, the resolution drew an outpouring of public feedback, including from hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who packed City Hall when it was introduced late last year.

The move drew a rare rebuke from Mayor London Breed, who blasted the body for “taking up complex matters over which we have absolutely no jurisdiction.”

Several U.S. cities have passed resolutions calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives since a surprise attack by Palestinian militants on Oct. 7.