“We’re in a room full of pain.”

The words, though spoken only once, echoed through the Aurora City Council’s chamber for the entirety of Monday’s four-hour meeting, during which people took turns speaking in support for or opposition to a resolution expressing the city’s “abiding support of the people of Israel.”

The words came from Randall Radetsky, who also cited Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel: “We must take sides, neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silencing encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

“The question,” Radetsky added, “is who’s who?”

Radetsky was one of more than 60 people who showed up to testify passionately for and against the resolution in a debate that sometimes served as a microcosm of the raw emotions in America over the Israel-Hamas war.

The resolution passed.

Early on in the meeting, a majority of councilmembers voted down a second resolution — brought forth by Juan Marcano — declaring Aurora’s “abiding support of the people of Israel and Palestine.”

In a way, the move by some of Marcano and other councilmembers to include “Palestine” in a resolution reflects efforts by Colorado’s progressive policymakers to condemn Hamas but also either assign some of the blame to Israel or note that both Palestinians and Israelis have been casualties of the conflict.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians. The group, which the U.S. lists as a terrorist organization, also took more than 200 people captive, including foreigners, and brought them into Gaza as the hostages.

The Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed and 16,297 wounded.

During the meeting, the audience — which was told not to cheer, boo or make other sounds — did exactly that. On several occasions, they argued and yelled at each other.  At one point, Mayor Mike Coffman made a motion, which didn’t pass, to hold a 30-minute recess. He also threatened to move the meeting to another room since people refused to follow the rules.

Many of the 60 people who spoke opposed the resolution and urged the council to to either support a second resolution — like Marcano’s — or amend the current one to add “and Palestine.”

Jannah Farooque called the attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7 a “catastrophe for us all” and said she deeply mourns for those killed. But, she said, she is “disgusted” by the council’s opposition to adding equal support for Palestinians in thee resolution.

“In one breath this resolution acknowledges the slaughter of Israeli citizens, while in the next breath disregards the slaughter of Palestinian citizens,” Farooque said. “This is hypocrisy of the highest form. Being completely opposed to adding equal support for Palestinians in their pursuit for peace, security, prosperity is evidentiary of racism, xenophobia and the belief that certain life holds more weight than others.”

She said she favors Marcano’s resolution because it “recognizes the Palestinian people and disavows antisemitism along with Islamophobia.”

Shadhaa Ramadan, a third generation Palestinian American and resident of Aurora since age 12, echoed Farooque’s statement, saying the council’s proposed statement doesn’t actually have any effect on the people in Palestine — but it does so on the people in Aurora.

“This bill affects the people here in front of you, the people that voted for you,” Ramadan said. “What have I done and what have my children done, what has everybody in this entire room done, to deserve your hatred, your biased support of Israel?”

The bill, rather than denouncing terrorism, is telling Aurora residents that council doesn’t believe in equality, Ramadan argued.

“You can have your beliefs, you can support Israel and you can hate Hamas, but you do not have to turn your backs on the people here in front of you to do that,” Ramadan said.

Scott Levin, who spoke in favor of the resolution, said it recognizes that “we have a common enemy, and that common enemy is Hamas.”

The Palestinian community will need to be recognized in its own way, Levin said, but he expressed appreciation to council for recognizing the Jewish community.

“This resolution is directly predicated on the actions of Hamas,” Levin said. “It’s hard, as it is hard I’m sure for my Palestinian friends to hear the words that I speak, for me to hear what feels like a justification. I think we all should know that evil has no justification, and that the actions of Hamas were evil.”

Diana Anderson, who is Israeli American, said her children and grandchildren are currently sleeping in a bomb shelter in Israel and haven’t been to school since Hamas attacked.

“I’m pro-Israel because I care about my people, but anyone who cares about any people shouldn’t have a problem condemning Hamas and supporting Israel in their defense against them,” Anderson said. “I believe that Israel deserves support.”

Councilmembers suggested modifications. Alison Coombs proposed tabling the item indefinitely. She said she supports Marcano’s resolution, calling it the most “fair, representative and compassionate” thing the council could do for everyone in Aurora.

Francoise Bergan, the sponsor, suggested an amendment to add that the city “recognizes and mourns the loss of all innocent lives caught in the fighting between the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and Hamas.”

Coffman suggested “continuing” the discussion for two weeks and coming to an agreement on an amended version.

Bergan disagreed.

“We have all these people here,” she said. “I would urge that we don’t table it because we’re not going to go through this another time and have hours and hours of debate again.”

Coffman said in the future he hopes “the issues we deal with have a direct nexus to the city.”

Coffman, who expressed his support for the resolution last week, pushed for tabling the item indefinitely.

“Without the amendment, I can’t support the resolution as is,” Coffman said, referring to the modification that Bergan proposed.

The motion to table the resolution died, with councilmembers Dustin Zvonek, Bergan, Danielle Jurinsky, Curtis Gardner, Angela Lawson and Steve Sundberg voting no.

Jurinsky said her colleagues could have discussed the resolution earlier and come up with an agreeable version.

“Our colleagues did not communicate with the only Jewish member of council or the resolution sponsor to say, ‘Hey, at the study session tonight, we would like to bring forward some amendments, can we talk through them with you?'” Jurinsky said. “There was zero communication, and we could have stood together … what you saw come forward tonight was a weak attempt to appease all of you.”

Ultimately, Jurinsky, Bergan, Zvonek, Sundberg, Gardner and Lawson all voted “yes” to the resolution, which passed.