Public commenters urge Arcadia council to adopt resolution calling for immediate release of Gaza hostages; council took no action

Several members of the public used Arcadia's public comment periods on Sept. 17 to urge the City Council to draft and adopt a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held in Gaza. Speakers included Abraham (resident), Jody (resident), Pat Hansler (nurse and member of Jewish Voices for Peace), Ella (resident) and others, who framed their remarks as appeals for humanitarian action and referenced images and reports of abuse. "We are asking you to pass a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages in Gaza," Abraham said, offering a draft resolution and volunteering to help with wording. Jody urged equal treatment for Israeli hostages after the council recently adopted a separate resolution in support of humanitarian aid for Gazans, describing forensic evidence from the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and urging the council to show support for local Jewish residents. Other speakers said a resolution would be a moral statement and urged the council to act quickly; one speaker noted the U.N. was considering bypassing the Security Council to send peacekeepers and aid. Council members acknowledged the speakers; no council motion or formal action on a hostage-resolution was taken at the Sept. 17 meeting. Several commenters also used the platform to request the council revisit meeting protocols and public comment timing.