As if we didn’t have enough home-grown problems, the Richmond City Council seems periodically drawn to taking sides in recurring struggles involving Israel and Palestinians, especially Gazans, governed by Hamas. Gayle McLaughlin appears to have particularly strong feelings about Israel and Gaza, consistently condemning Israel and supporting Gaza and Hamas.

In 2010, Gayle McLaughlin was the co-sponsor of a resolution related to a flotilla allegedly trying to bring aid to Gaza (See Proposed Gaza Flotilla Resolution Ignites Strong Emotions in Richmond, June 12, 2010). After a contentious hearing, rationality prevailed when the other sponsor, Jeff Ritterman, moved to dispose of the matter by successfully referring it to the Human Relations Commission (See Richmond Council Postpones Vote Condemning Flotilla Raid, June 16, 2010).

Now, the City Council is back at it again, once more taking sides with a resolution sponsored by Eduardo Martinez and Gayle McLaughlin, and once more taking sides “Affirming Richmond's Support and Solidarity with the Palestinian People of Gaza,”

Resolution Affirming Richmond's Support and Solidarity with the Palestinian People of Gaza

WHEREAS, the City of Richmond stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza, who are currently facing a campaign of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment by the state of Israel; and

WHEREAS, collective punishment is considered a war crime under international law, and refers to a form of sanction imposed on persons or a group of persons in response to a crime committed by one of them or a member of the group; and

WHEREAS, the state of Israel is engaging in collective punishment against the Palestinian people in Gaza in response to Hamas attacks on Israel; and

WHEREAS, this collective punishment of the Palestinian people includes shutting off all access to electricity, drinking water, food, and humanitarian aid; and

WHEREAS, the UN says approximately 2 million people in Gaza may soon run out of drinking water and all medical care; and

WHEREAS, ethnic cleaning refers to the creation of an ethnically homogenous geographic area through the elimination of unwanted ethnic groups by deportation, forcible displacement, or genocide; and

WHEREAS, Israel is now engaged in an ethnic cleansing campaign by explicitly requiring two million Palestinians to leave Gaza immediately or risk being bombed in their homes by the Israeli army; and

WHEREAS, the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated places on Earth, has been repeatedly referred to by human rights groups as “the world’s largest open-air prison” even prior to this conflict; and

WHEREAS, Gaza is known as “the world’s largest open-air prison” due to ongoing, unbearable living conditions imposed by the state of Israel, including a full air, land and sea blockade, enclosure of its borders by concrete walls and barbed wire fences, and the strict prohibition of Palestinians from leaving and entering the territory freely; and

WHEREAS, this blockade on Gaza has caused a 42% unemployment rate, while 84% of the population relies on humanitarian aid, 41% of Palestinians have too little food, 60% of Palestinian children are anemic, and the Gazan population cannot count on more than 2-4 hours of continuous electrical power a day; and

WHEREAS, prior to this current water shortage, only 1% of Gaza population has access to safe drinking water, leaving Gaza’s population – half of whom are children – increasingly vulnerable to waterborne diseases, infections, and dehydration; and

WHEREAS, Israel has not allowed many common cancer diagnosis and treatment tools, including PET CT and radiotherapy, to enter Gaza since 2007; and

WHEREAS, pediatric cancer cases that are typically considered treatable are often fatal in the Gaza Strip, as a result of the lack of healthcare and restrictions on movement; and

WHEREAS, the state of Israel would not be able to maintain an apartheid regime without enormous military aid provided by the United States every year, thereby also depriving Americans of money for their own urgent needs;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that 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; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Richmond vows to combat antisemitism and ethno-nationalism in all its forms; and

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Richmond advocates for the dignity and safety of residents in every community, regardless of what crimes its leadership may commit, and that peaceful diplomacy is the only way to achieve this safety and dignity.

At the last City Council meeting, Gayle McLaughlin cited the claim, now thoroughly discredited, that Israel had bombed a hospital and killed more than 500 Gazans. Actually, the hospital was the victim of an errant Hamas rocket.

Just today, a hospital was hit, more than 500 Gazans were killed, a lot of them children, likely 800 to a thousand once the count is completed will be among the dead.

Councilmember Cesar Zepeda has made a statement with a different twist:

I condemn the brutal atrocities by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and actions by Israel leading to killing and injuries of Palestinian civilians. I support Israel’s right to defend its citizens and disarm Hamas. I condemn crimes against humanity regardless of perpetrator. We must find a way to deliver humanitarian aid to Gazans, release the hostages, and implement a ceasefire.

Following is an article in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Richmond council to vote on resolution accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing, drawing criticism

There is also a good article on this in Radio Free Richmond – “Speaking for the People of Richmond Without Speaking With the People of Richmond.”

There is a call to action by the JCRC: https://mailchi.mp/jcrc/action-alert-stop-anti-israel-vote-in-richmond-this-tue?fbclid=IwAR15vGM7TuV-vttbJ-wSIRMPLHLTtyXt8Cv6ITOpWTaE10vCEXkEOzjMQDE.

APEN, an RPA ally, has taken the side of Martinez and McLaughlin with its own action alert: