Every once in awhile, being a resident of California offers an extreme test of my resolve to stay for family and work commitments.
This week, one Bay Area city council decided to offer its opinion on Israel’s response to the dreadful butchering of its citizens in a most shameful way.
A California city has become the first in the US to pass a resolution condemning Israel — accusing the Jewish nation of committing “ethnic cleansing and collective punishment.”The resolution passed by the Richmond City Council around 1 a.m. Wednesday states, in part, that Palestinians in Gaza “are currently facing a campaign of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment by the state of Israel.”That “is considered a war crime under international law,” the resolution states.It also calls for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the safe passage of substantial humanitarian aid to Gaza,” as well as an “end to Israeli apartheid and the occupation and blockade of Palestinian land by Israeli military forces.”“The city of Richmond opposes all existing and future military aid to Israel,” it concludes, while attempting to express support for Jewish members of its community.
The mayor of this entity asserts the proclamation promotes peace.
Mayor Eduardo Martinez, a Democrat, claims that he voted for the resolution because he believes American taxpayers are on the hook for what he referred to as an ‘apartheid state.’…Despite his inflammatory rhetoric, Mayor Martinez claims the shocking resolution promotes peace.’This proclamation chooses human lives over politics,’ said Martinez.He also claimed that referring to Israel as an ethnic cleanser and an apartheid state was not anti-Semitism.
Of course, when it comes to the Ukraine . . .well, this city council has an entirely different view of how much support this nation should give.
Wind waved the Ukrainian flag on the flagpole outside Richmond City Hall on Monday, hung to show support for the Ukrainian people.The blue-and-yellow-striped banner, made by Richmond resident Claudia Citroen, joined the California, Richmond and Pan-African flags. Mayor Tom Butt and Richmond residents gathered for the Ukrainian flag raising to support the country, which is under attack from neighboring Russia.“I hope somebody in Ukraine reads that the people of Richmond are rooting for them,” Butt said.
Of course, there may be reasons the leaders of Richmond are sympathetic to criminals and terrorists:
The 2020 crime rate in Richmond, CA is 462 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 1.8 times higher than the U.S. average. It was higher than in 95.9% U.S. cities. The 2020 Richmond crime rate fell by 1% compared to 2019. The number of homicides stood at 20 – an increase of 4 compared to 2019.
The city council’s actions are drawing a considerable amount of justified criticism.
My only consolation: California is a very long state, and there is a great deal of distance between me and this insanity.
We do things differently in San Diego.
Hundreds of people gathered at the San Diego County Administration Building Sunday afternoon for a rally in support of Israel as the war in Gaza enters its third week.Dozens waved Israeli flags and banners that read “We stand with Israel” during the protest, organized by a coalition of several organizations. Others held flyers with the names of people who were reported missing or held hostage by Hamas after the initial Oct. 7 attack.“We’re here to show our support for the hostages that Hamas took in their attack” said Bruce Levine, who attended the rally. “As time goes on, people’s memories get a little bit fuzzy and there’s been so much focus on Israel’s response that a lot of people have forgotten.”
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