On the February 12, 2024 City Council meeting, community members addressed Council regarding the situation in Gaza and Israel. Over the following meetings, Council continued to hear from community members on differing sides of the issue, with topics ranging from the number civilian casualties and the humanitarian crises in Gaza, Israeli hostages, as well as local instances of antisemitism and islamophobia.
On the March 25 City Council meeting, the Hood River City Council adopted the following statement:
“The Hood River City Council is disappointed to learn that there has been an increase in anti-Muslim and antisemitic rhetoric/acts within our community in recent months. The City is working internally to increase racial and social equity, and ‘envisions a community where every person feels safe.’ As such, the Hood River City Council condemns actions that make community members, or visitors to our community, feel unwelcome or unsafe as a result of their religion, race, or cultural or ethnic background.”