Don’t expect the Asheville City Council to pass a resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional cease fire in Gaza.
That was Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer’s blunt message Tuesday night (March 12), at the end of the latest packed council meeting where emotions flared among local residents who are sharply divided over the Israeli military action against Hamas in Gaza.
In recent months, the public comment portion of city council meetings has been dominated by the heated debate among two groups.
Cease fire backers have expressed horror over the mounting civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and demanded that their local government weigh in, at least symbolically.
But others have defended Israel’s right to defend itself from waves of future attacks, and have decried rising antisemitism.
At the end of Tuesday night’s session, the room hushed as Manheimer assured the crowd that both she and council members were listening, but that it appeared highly unlikely they would reach consensus on a cease fire resolution.
“I find it very difficult to speak on this issue myself,” the mayor told the crowd. “It’s very personal to me.”
She said the outpouring on both sides has shown her that Asheville is a “deeply caring community,” and said she has tried to encourage people from different viewpoint s to get together and communicate.
“Settling it in a coffee shop is probably not going to happen,” she said.
Although some speakers on Tuesday said they were living out the principle of thinking globally but acting locally, Manheimer suggested they express themselves to members of the U.S. Congress on this issue.
She also pleaded for civility.
“We condemn hate speech as a council… whether it’s Islamophobic or antisemitic speech,” she said. “Let’s not terrorize one another with words.”