PART of the crowd at the Stanton City Council meeting on Tuesday (Orange County Tribune).

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

Some of the strong emotions generated by the struggle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza surfaced during Tuesday’s meeting of the Stanton City Council.

The small council chambers were packed to standing room only and the crowd spilled out into the lobby as the city leaders considered a proposed resolution calling for “support of the Palestinian people of Gaza, which also calls for a ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine.”

After more than three hours of public comment – sometimes punctuated by interruptions – and discussion, the council instead backed a different resolution which didn’t explicitly call for an immediate cease-fire.

The resolution, proposed by Mayor Pro Tem Hong Alyce Van, was approved on  4-1 vote, with Councilmember Donald Torres opposed.

It condemned both the Hamas attack on civilians and hostage-taking as well as Israeli bombing raids that killed thousands in Gaza.

“All people deserve the right to live and practice their religion in peace … the Stanton City Council hereby condemns terrorism, violence and hate in all its forms … condemns the killing of innocent civilians no matter who they are, or where they live, as a crime against humanity… the council recognizes the need for Israelis and Palestinians to live with peace, dignity and self-determination … and the city is committed to promoting compassion, respect and understanding among all people.”

 The original resolution, advanced by Councilmember Torres at the Nov. 14 meeting, was supported by 33 speakers and opposed by 18.

 Suppporters of Torres’ resolution held up signs reading “Cease Fire Now” while opponents had posters reading “Kidnapped” and “Release the Hostages.” They were literally divided, with a “pro-Palestinian” group on the right side of the room (with some exceptions) and the “pro-Israeli” group on the left.