■Kerman City Council will consider issuing a Gaza cease-fire proclamation.

■The proclamation is similar to what the Madera City Council passed last month.

■The proclamation does not refer to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.

The Kerman City Council will consider issuing a proclamation supporting a cease-fire in Gaza at its Wednesday night meeting.

The proclamation calls for an “immediate permanent ceasefire; release of all hostages due to this conflict; the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza; the restoration of food, water, electricity, and medical supplies to Gaza; the respect for international law; and calls for a resolution that protects the security of all civilians.”

The full proclamation can be read here.

“As Mayor, it’s imperative to heed the voices of our community. The proclamation for a cease-fire in Gaza, though not directly impacting Kerman, resonates deeply with residents who have family ties. We also have refugees living amongst us,” Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco told GV Wire. “Their firsthand experiences compel us to take action. I’m optimistic that the council will recognize the significance of this proclamation to our community. We’ll await Wednesday’s outcome.”

Kerman is a city of about 16,000 residents 15 miles west of Fresno.

Pacheco directed city staff at the Feb. 28 city council meeting to place the item on the agenda.

Palestinian Activist Writes Resolution

Yasir Amireh, a local Palestinian activist, wrote the resolution. The Madera City Council passed a similar resolution on Feb. 14.

“I already spoke to the media about it,” Amireh told GV Wire when asked for a comment.

Israel and Hamas are not mentioned in the proclamation, nor are the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that precipitated the Israeli military response. While the resolution mentions 32,000 “innocent lives have perished due to this conflict,” it does not specifically mention the 1,200 Israelis murdered in the attacks nor reports of other atrocities committed by Hamas.

“Regarding the absence of specific mentions in the proclamation, the intention was to uphold a stance of impartiality and promote peace without entangling into geopolitical intricacies,” Pacheco said. “As for outreach to the Jewish community, I haven’t received any direct contact from any group or person in Kerman. However, I remain open and receptive to engaging in dialogue should they wish to voice their perspectives.”

Jacques Benninga, head of the local Jewish Community Relations Committee, opposes the resolution. Cease-fire negotiations are taking place in the Middle East.

“Hamas is not agreeing to a cease-fire. And that’s why there is no cease-fire. And so city councils ought to just stay out of it and let the process work,” Benninga said.

He also questioned the report of 32,000 Gazans killed. Benninga said those numbers include Hamas fighters. The number has been largely attributed to the Gaza Health Ministry, an arm of Hamas.

“The issue is a very emotional one for Palestinians. But it’s not a rational, objective perspective,” Benninga said.

Responding to Constituents

At the Feb. 28 meeting, five residents spoke in favor of a cease-fire resolution.

Councilmember Gary Yep said he has not read the resolution, nor taken a position on it. He said he was responding to residents’ request for the council to discuss the matter.

“This is a situation where a lot of the members of Kerman are here today to represent. So, at some point, we have to we have to address the fact that this is a community issue. So I don’t have a problem deliberating and talking about the decisions that we’re going to make tonight that are going to affect the residents of Kerman,” Yep said on Feb. 28.

Councilmember Ismael Herrera was absent from that meeting. He deferred comment to members who attended that evening.

Councilmember Jennifer Coleman declined comment, saying, “I’m not interested in discussing this topic.”

Another councilmember, Bill Nijjer, did not respond to messages left by GV Wire.

Pro-Palestinian activists have called for the Fresno City Council to issue a cease-fire resolution. However, there is no indication that a majority of Fresno councilmembers want to move forward with one.

The Wednesday meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Kerman City Hall, 850 S. Madera Ave.