Editorial: Why weigh in on international issues?

Allegheny County Council has reason to get involved in a lot of issues.

It can take actions that impact the environment. It can do things that affect the economy of the state — even a few states given the area’s proximity to Ohio and West Virginia. It can make a difference in people’s health, home life, mental well-being, jobs and more.

But, internationally, there’s only so much the 15 people legislating the second-largest county in Pennsylvania can do. Conflict in the Middle East is well outside their control.

And it should be.

It has become commonplace in the halls of power — as large as Congress and the United Nations or as small as a borough with 100 residents — to pass resolutions of support or condemnation on issues that occur in other places.

There are reasons for Congress to get involved: money or military support. There are reasons for the U.N.; those could be about arbitration or sanctioning.

But we should stop asking local government to get involved everywhere.

On Tuesday, after five hours of public comment, Allegheny County Council voted not to pass a resolution encouraging a cease-fire in Gaza. Three council members supported the resolution. Nine opposed, two abstained and one was absent.

Lack of support for the resolution should not be interpreted as lack of support for the people in the region. Ideally, it should be an acknowledgement of the complexity of the issue.

Allegheny County has a lot of problems to handle. There are things like pollution, economic development, homelessness and housing. The county has not finished a test early and needs another assignment to keep busy.

What it does not have is a real understanding of the kind of conflict going on between Israel and Palestine — or more precisely, Israel and Hamas.

The people who spoke Tuesday are passionate about the issue. So are many of the people who have participated in protests, signed petitions and taken part in other activism.

But that is not the job of county government in Pennsylvania. Allegheny County is five times the size of Gaza with half the population. Hostilities with Cleveland Browns fans may get ugly but never result in bombings. The age-old enemy is Philadelphia on the other side of the state. These rivalries are about sports and sandwiches.

The differences would make it condescending for Allegheny County to lecture on what ought to be done in Gaza, and so council made the right decision. It just isn’t the county’s job, just like telling Brazil what to do with the rainforest or NASA how to get to the moon.

Resolution sponsor Dan Grzybek pointed to other resolutions council has taken up, like support of the federal Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The difference there is that Allegheny County has an active interest in agriculture, voting and law enforcement.

Instead of taking steps to support or oppose politics in other countries, local or county government should do its job efficiently and effectively. That leaves the people free to debate important issues like the war in Gaza and find ways to advocate accordingly.