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After input from citizens and councilmembers, the controversial resolution from the Peace and Justice Commission to divest from Israel and Palestine that contained several items supporting peace processes in the region was picked apart, rewritten, but in the end it was still voted down.  

On Wednesday — the day after the heated debates surrounding the resolution — some councilmembers expressed relief and conveyed a sense that it was time to focus on local issues while at least one member sought to prepare an even stronger resolution. 

Though the council picked apart the resolution, pulling the issue of divestiture completely from the measure, the final version still did not have enough support to pass.  

The final version retained only a few articles from the original draft. It consisted of “support for the use of international peace keepers in Israel and Palestine,” “opposing all violations of law by the governments of Israel and Palestine,” “opposing the sale of weapons to be used against civilians,” and the forwarding of copies of the resolution to Congressional representatives. 

The reconstituted measure failed to gain a positive majority by one vote, which is necessary for any measure to pass.  

Councilmembers Linda Maio, Maudelle Shirek, Dona Spring and Miriam Hawley all voted to pass the measure, while members Margaret Breland, Betty Olds and Kriss Worthington voted against it. Mayor Shirley Dean and Councilmember Polly Armstrong both abstained from voting. 

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While assenting voters must have felt they had tailored the measure to the community's satisfaction, there didn't seem to be much regret at its failure. “I was hoping we could get a consensus on the items that seemed to be promoting peace,” Hawley said. “But it failing is fine. Taking no action on such a divisive issue is not a bad solution, if we can keep it at that. Anything we do in this atmosphere is very divisive.” 

Armstrong concurred. “Many of these issues unnecessarily divide the city, and are often decided on an emotional basis rather than on understanding,” she said. Armstrong doesn't believe the council should take on foreign policy issues, and as a matter of policy refuses to vote on many issues that Berkeley has no jurisdiction over. 

“Berkeley has enough problems of its own. If we can solve all our own problems, then we can go help Oakland,” she said. “There are people who believe Berkeley is a beacon for the world. But most of the people I come in contact with find the foreign policy stuff to be arrogant and silly.” 

Others believe that resolutions by the city of Berkeley are bound to have some effect.  

But Worthington said he believes passing a resolution that eloquently and understandably capsulizes Berkeley’s commitment to peace and justice to be a valuable tool, and he plans to have a new resolution ready for the next meeting that further specifies what actions the city condemns. 

Dean also spoke up for Berkeley’s practice of weighing in on foreign policy issues. She said that, in union with other voices of dissent, city measures can add to the tide of change.  

She abstained from voting on the resolution on Tuesday night, not because she disagreed with it in spirit, but said the context of this resolution would likekly be misconstrued.  

“This is a situation where the measure stands a 100% chance of being misunderstood. For example, I support the mission of peacekeepers, but first you need a peace to keep,” she said. 

“What we can do is stop the hatred within this city,” Dean said. “The bomb threats, the graffitti, the name-calling, have lately been directed at Jewish students and temples. In September, it was against Arabs or people who seemed Arabic. We get hate-mail directed at African-Americans, Hispanics, gays. If we speak out, promote a civil discourse, and spread the message of “no hate,” then we'll have done something.” 

Steve Friedkin of the Peace and Justice Commission came away from Tuesday's meeting with the same message. “One of the issues brought up last night was that people want to see us take a greater stand against hate crimes in our own community, so I have placed that issue on the agenda for the May 6th commission meeting. I'm basically issuing a challenge to encourage people to write up proposals and submit them to us, preferably before the actual meeting,” he said. Proposals should be sent to the commission's secretary, Manuel Hector, by April 30 at Health and Human Services, 2180 Milvia St., Berkeley 94704; or MHector@ci.berkeley.ca.us. 

Contact reporter Jamie Luck at jamie@berkeleydailyplanet.net