Boulder Reporting Lab: In February 2024, as the Israel-Hamas war escalated, the Boulder City Council informally voted 7-2 against discussing a ceasefire resolution, citing council rules that limit their ability to weigh in on foreign affairs. 

Months later, calls for such a resolution persist, dominating the council’s open public comment periods. Several councilmembers have reiterated their stance, arguing their time is better spent on local issues, such as homelessness. 

Chatter in the council chambers and shouting directed at councilmembers have prompted about a dozen recesses this year, at times delaying work on city matters. Certain comments directed at them — including one comparing the city council to Adolf Eichmann, an architect of the Holocaust — have been denounced as hate speech by councilmembers. Councilmember Tara Winer, who was called a “Jewish supremacist” during one meeting, has said she has felt unsafe at council meetings.

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