photo credit: Noah Abrams/KRCB

Just as in San Francisco Tuesday, there was applause in Cotati after the city of about 7,500 became Sonoma County’s first to officially call for a ceasefire in the conflict in Gaza.

Residents from both Cotati and across Sonoma County filled the compact city hall Tuesday night, including Rabbi Irwin Keller of Cotati’s Congregation Ner Shalom.

"The membership of Ner Shalom knows that I'm here today to speak in support of the resolution for ceasefire," Keller said. "I've received 30 emails from congregants since I announced this yesterday, 29 of which expressed gratitude and relief."

Keller, speaking on his own behalf, said, “it is a Jewish obligation to speak out.”

"I remain in a state of deep sadness, both from the events of October 7th and from the extremity of Israel's reprisal." Keller said. "A reprisal was foreseeable, but what we have seen in these three months goes far beyond anyone's imaginings...I know that a ceasefire is not peace, but a ceasefire is not nothing."

The vote on the ceasefire resolution wasn’t without its share of twists.

The council’s discussion and community comment were orderly, civil and supportive of the resolution, but technical difficulties with the Zoom live stream originally prompted the council to continue the item to a later date.

During the initial public comments without Zoom, speakers urged the council to take definitive action.

Therese Mughannam-Walrath, a Palestinian-American Sonoma County resident, called on the council to support a ceasefire, noting the estimated 7,000 plus children reported killed in Gaza by health authorities; more than the number of students enrolled in the Cotati-Rohnert Park School District.

When the stream was restored part way through the meeting, giving online attendees the ability to comment, the council reversed course and agreed to vote on the resolution.

Mayor Laura Sparks explained the council’s reasoning for sticking to universalist language and a general call for a lasting peace.

"I do believe that the more we wade into dictating specific policy solutions, there's room for people to nitpick and disagree with portions of this, and although I personally agree with the and to military aid, I think our resolution is stronger if we leave it out," Sparks said.

Cotati's resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the conflict between Israel and Palestine was unanimously adopted.