A California city council passed a resolution on Wednesday that it stands in “solidarity” with Palestinians and accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing,” according to KTVU.
Hamas carried out a deadly terrorist attack on Oct. 7 at multiple locations in southern Israel that killed over 1,400 people. The Richmond City Council voted 5-1 to pass a resolution stating that the city “stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza” and claiming that Palestinians face “ethnic cleansing and collective punishment by the state of Israel,” according to KTVU, a local Fox outlet. (RELATED: Rashida Tlaib Doubles Down On Debunked Hospital Bombing Claim, Says She Can’t ‘Uncritically Accept’ Israel’s ‘Denials’)
“The City of Richmond takes seriously the entreaty of ‘Never Again,’ and that the historical memory of the Holocaust means fighting ethnic cleansing and apartheid everywhere,” the resolution reads.
People hold flags outside the Israeli embassy during a pro-Palestinian protest in Athens, Greece, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
The resolution called for a ceasefire, “an end to Israeli apartheid” and the release of the hostages held by Hamas, while also opposing further military aid to Israel, according to its text.
“I reject the notion that speaking out against Israel’s military and right wing government is antisemitic,” Mayor Eduardo Martinez said, according to KTVU. “We should never stay silent when it comes to any group. The Palestinian people are currently dealing with what the United Nations calls war crimes by the state of Israel.”
The majority of public comments received by the city as of 1 p.m. Tuesday opposed the measure, some of whom called it “inflammatory.”
“The council demonstrated profound ignorance and incompetence,” Jewish Community Relations Council CEO Tyler Gregory told KTVU. “Richmond could not bring itself to condemn mass murder against Jewish civilians and is not a safe place for Jews. There will be consequences for this taxpayer-funded circus.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel’s response to the attack will “echo for generations” as Israel began military operations against Hamas.
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