Sabha, Tamer
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Iraheta, Alba; Jomsky, Mark; Rabies, Sandra; Sabha, Tamer; McMillan, Acquanette (Netta); Soo, Christine
FW: Item 3
<• From: Dan Huynh
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2025 4:47:07 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: cityclerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Item 3
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Dear Legislative Policy Committee,
I am writing to strongly urge you to divest from businesses linked with the ongoing genocide of Palestinian families. Over 2 years later, we have seen the devastation that our nation's complicity and active military funding has brought on the people of Palestine. We must think globally and act locally - our actions as a city have impact and I am asking you to please stand with me and the thousands of other Pasadenans who showed up to numerous meetings for the protection of Palestine.
Thankyou,
Dan Huynh
District 1
Sabha, Tamer
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Iraheta, Alba; Jomsky, Mark; Robles, Sandra; Sabha, Tamer; McMillan, Acquanette (Netta); Soo, Christine
FW: Dec. 18, 2025 Legislative Policy Committee - Public Comment, Agenda 3 - Support for Stronger Ethical Policy for Pasadena
20231222_MCC_Statement-on-Gaza.pdf; 20251007_MCC_Continued-call-for-peace- and-restoration-in-Gaza.pdf; 20240920_MCC_A-statement-on-Gaza.pdf From: Una Jost <
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2025 7:00:15 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: cityclerk <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]>; Gordo, Victor <[email protected]>; Masuda, Gene <[email protected]>
Subject: Dec. 18, 2025 Legislative Policy Committee - Public Comment, Agenda 3 - Support for Stronger Ethical Policy for Pasadena
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Greetings Chair Madison, Vice Mayor Rivas, and Councilmember Masuda:
Thank you for your service on the council and Legislative Policy Committee, and the opportunity to comment on Agenda Item.
I'm Una Lee Jost, PUSD parent, and longtime resident of Pasadena, District 4.
I also serve as volunteer board member of West Coast MCC representing Pasadena Mennonite Church. West Coast MCC is a division of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit international relief, development, and peace agency.
For over 100 years, MCC, a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches, has worked with locals towards local solutions, sharing God's love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to people in need through humanitarian ministries of disaster relief, sustainable community development, and justice and peacebuilding.
MCC has been engaged in its humanitarian efforts in more than 50 countries, including in Palestine and Israel.
MCC began its work in Palestine and Israel in 1949 as a response to the Nakba, or the "catastrophe." As many as 750,000 Palestinians were displaced when the new state of Israel was established on land inhabited for centuries by Palestinians. Many of those who call Gaza home are refugees, descendants of those displaced in 1948.
MCC works with and walks alongside both Palestinian and Israeli partners seeking a just peace for all who live on the land. Through our partners, MCC is responding to humanitarian needs in Gaza, but as conditions continue to deteriorate this has become increasingly challenging and dangerous.
Kindly find attached the MCC's December 2023 and October 2024 statements on Gaza, as well as a recent October 2025 article about MCC's continued call for peace and restoration in Gaza. More information about MCC's work in Gaza can be found on the website atwww.mcc.om.
As conveyed in the October 2025 MCC article:
"For two years, the world has witnessed a genocide unfold as Israel wages a campaign of mass slaughter, forced starvation and repeated displacement on the people of Gaza, all with the backing of the United States. Israel has blocked nearly all humanitarian aid deliveries since March. In August, famine was declared "The Israeli government is also making it nearly impossible for humanitarian organizations like MCC to deliver life- saving aid by imposing an unworkable and politicized re-registration process. 'We fear for our partner staff, their families, and the communities they serve. Our faithful commitment as peacemakers requires us to stop any genocide. A just peace is not forged with power and violence but must address the root causes of conflict and seek mutual flourishing for all. "This is a critical moment to urge the U. S. Congress and the Trump administration to:
o Pressure Israel to allow aid into Gaza and remove the unworkable and politicized registration requirements for humanitarian organizations
o Ban all weapons transfers and sales from the U. S. to Israel o Call for an end to the genocide and an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestinian land In the Christian faith tradition, the article quotes to Psalm 61:1, 4b: "Hear my cry, 0 God; listen to my prayer. Let me find refuge under the shelter of your wings."
We each have a moral and legal responsibility to prevent this genocide. As a person of faith and resident of Pasadena, I respectfully urge you in your capacity as our City's leaders to use all your influence to stop the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, including passing a resolution creating a citywide ethical investment policy that would include divestment from companies that profit from the genocide in Gaza. As many other cities, counties and universities have done, this ethical investment policy could also include divestment from other genocides and/or human rights atrocities, weapons manufacturers and fossil fuels.
Thank you for standing with our families and communities to further this policy that aligns with our values as a City, one that enshrines human rights, dignity for all, and a healthy planet.
In hope,
Una Lee Jost
Resident of Pasadena, District 4
QMCC( Give ) '& 0,
HomeOur StoriesMCC statement on Gaza
MCC statement on
Gaza
If Jesus is under the rubble, where are we?
^ United States, Canada, Palestine and Israel — Dec 2023 Statements and Letters
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Update: Since this statement was issued, the circumstances in Gaza have continued to evolve and MCC has continued
to engage in peace in the name of Christ. We invite you to read our most recent statement.
Conflict
December 22, 2023
A voice was heard in Ramab, wailing and loud
lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more. "(Matthew 2:18)
In this holy season of Christmas, as we mark the miracle of the birth of Jesus, we cannot forget the cries that we hear from Bethlehem today. In Bethlehem, as in Gaza City, in Sderot, in Khan Younis, mothers and fathers are wailing for their lost children. Children are wailing for their lost parents.
For more than a century, we at Mennonite Central
Committee (MCC) have been listening to the cries of our partners and the communities where we serve - with their voices shaping how we respond.
May each of us hear the weeping and listen to the cries of pastors, like the Rev. Munther Isaac of Evangelical
Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, who ask us to
take the pain their congregations are experiencing - and to bring it into our hearts, our prayers and our actions.
Seeing the image of Christ in each child pulled from the devastation, Isaac and his congregation created a nativity with the Christ child in a pile of rubble, Mary and Joseph reaching out to the baby.
"If Jesus is to be born today, he would be bom in Gaza
under the mbble in a sign of solidarity with us," Isaac says. "This is what Immanuel means - precisely that he is with us in the midst of our pain and suffering. This is how we understand it, and this is the message of Christmas to us/ If Jesus is under the rubble, where are we?
Following the brutal Hamas attacks of October 7, which
left more than 1,100 Israelis dead, the collective
punishment the Israeli military has unleashed on Gaza is nothing short of apocalyptic. In just over two months,
more than 20,000 Palestinians, including more than 7,000 children, have been killed by the bombing campaign and
ground invasion—largely funded, supplied and supported
by the U.S. government.
The staggering number of casualties is difficult to
comprehend and each life, each person formed in the image of God, is precious. Each loss of a child, parent, brother or sister is equally world shattering.
In one appalling example, this December two women
inside the grounds of the Holy Family Church, a central place of refuge for Christians in the northern part of Gaza, were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. Tanks fired on a convent on the church grounds that provided care for 54 people with disabilities. The church's electricity and fuel sources were destroyed, disabling the respirators.
Our partners and pastors in Palestine, like the Rev. Ashraf Tannous, pastor of Evangelical Lutheran Church of the
Reformation in Beitjala, Bethlehem, are asking whether we are hearing the cries of the church and seeing the humanity of the people of this land.
"As a pastor praying the Lord's Prayer, I'm having
difficulty, especially when I pray the first words of the Lord's Prayer, when I say 'Our Father,"5 Tannous shares, saying it feels like many Christians aren't including him and his congregation in the shared family of faith.
"They are not recognizing the fact that as a Christian
congregation praying and saying 'Our Father5 means that I am responsible of [sic] the other Christians around this world, and especially those who are living under lots of difficulties, and especially today the Palestinians who are living under war, under genocide."
If Jesus is under the rubble, where are we?
Mennonite Central Committee began its work in Palestine and Israel in 1949 as a response to the Nakba, or the
"catastrophe/3 As many as 750,000 Palestinians were
displaced when the new state of Israel was established on land inhabited for centuries by Palestinians. Many of those who call Gaza home are refugees, descendants of those
displaced in 1948.
MCC works with and walks alongside Palestinian and
Israeli partners seeking a just peace for all who live on the land. Through our partners, MCC is responding to
humanitarian needs in Gaza, but as conditions continue to deteriorate this has become increasingly challenging and dangerous.
According to the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, half of Gaza's
populadon is starving, in a situation of extreme or severe hunger, and 90% of the population regularly go without
food for a whole day.
Recently, a staff member of one MCC partner
organization in Gaza reported that, like most Gazans,
members of their family had mn out of flour. They risked returning to the home they had fled to retrieve the flour they left behind. But as they opened the door, they were critically injured by an explosion. This is but one example of how dire the situation in Gaza has become, with food and water increasingly scarce.
Out of a population of 2.2 million, an estimated 1.9 million people have been displaced from their homes. More than
half of the homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.
More than 50,000 people have been injured, while the
medical system in Gaza has collapsed from a lack of
supplies, electricity and safety.
Until the Israeli government stops dropping bombs, opens more border crossings and allows more fuel for vehicles, sufficient humanitarian aid will not reach those who
desperately need it.
'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?5 Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me/ (Matthew 25:44b-45)
If Jesus is under the rubble, where are we?
Our partners, both Palestinian and Israeli, fear the ongoing catastrophe has reached a new and terrible zenith. The
current situation is beyond tragic, and it will take years to address the repercussions of the death and destruction.
Violence will not bring security, nor a lasting peace.
The cost in human lives right now is just astronomic," says Rachel Beitarie, Director ofZochrot, an Israeli MCC
partner. It brings unfathomable misery to Gaza, but
beyond Gaza, as well, to all Palestinians and Israelis as well in this mindset of revenge and militaristic power.... This is what brought us to October 7. And to aU the violence that we experienced. So, we must choose a different path."
Beitarie went on to urge, "When you stand in solidarity with Palestinians, when you hold your governments
accountable, you are not against Jews, you're not against Israeli Jews. You're doin^ this for us as well, for our safety, for our future."
Pastors like Isaac and Tannous are pleading with us to speak out for the killing to end now.
In response, we, as citizens of countries that continue to provide military and political cover to continue this war, can witness to our governments, urging them to end their role in this violence and all violence, call for the
accountability of all parties, and plead with them to
commit to work toward a lasting peace. We are seeing the results of Canadians speaking up for change, but we know more is needed. Specifically, we ask policymakers in the U.S. and Canada to:
1. Negotiate for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
2. Pursue all means to greatly expand humanitarian aid
access into Gaza.
3. Call on all parties to negotiate a just and shared vision of the future.
We are grateful for the generous financial support, the prayers and the advocacy actions ofMCC supporters to
date. May each action we take be grounded in prayer.
Recognizing that all our actions come out of our reliance on God's redeeming work in the world, let us pray that
1 J
God would work in miraculous ways in the hearts and
minds of leaders on all sides of the conflict and leaders throughout the world who have influence; that those who are suffering would experience Jesus3 comfort and healing.
Here are some opportunities to listen to the voices of those we partner with in the region. Hear four Palestinian pastors share in a recent webinar. Read Christmas under the
rubble: Palestinian pastors call for sober Christmas
observance. See Palestinian Christians share what they want Christians from around the world to know in light of the conflict in Gaza, and Message from an MCC partner in
Israel. Listen to Everyone is entitled to dignity and safety, a Nov. 1 episode of Relief, Development and Podcast
featuring MCC's representatives for Jordan, Palestine and Israel. Or explore MCC and Palestine and Israel:
Frequently asked questions.
This Christmas, please join us in mourning the immense
loss of life in the birthplace of Jesus and weeping with all those suffering under the weight of injustice. In the midst of devastation and grief, may the coming oflmmanuel—
God with us—bring comfort and hope. And, as we reflect
on the birth of Christ, may we find the clarity to recognize Jesus in the rubble and the strength to join our voices with those who cry for justice and peace.
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I Conflict
October 7, 2025
Background: For two years, the world has witnessed a
genocide unfold as Israel wages a campaign of mass
slaughter, forced starvation and repeated displacement on the people of Gaza, all with the backing of the United
States. Israel has blocked nearly all humanitarian aid
deliveries since March. In August, famine was declared.
The Israeli government is also making it nearly impossible for humanitarian organizations like MCC to deliver life- saving aid by imposing an unworkable and politicized re- registration process.
We fear for our partner staff, their families, and the
communities they serve. Our faithful commitment as
peacemakers requires us to stop any genocide. A just
peace is not forged with power and violence but must
address the root causes of conflict and seek mutual
flourishing for all.
This is a critical moment to urge the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration to:
— Pressure Israel to allow aid into Gaza and remove the unworkable and politicized registration requirements
for humanitarian organizations
— Ban all weapons transfers and sales from the U.S. to
Israel
— Call for an end to the genocide and an end to the
unlawful occupation of Palestinian land
Faith reflection: "Hear my cry, 0 God; listen to my prayer.
Let me find refuge under the shelter of your wings." (Psalm 61:1, 4b)
Donate and find additional resources.
Photo above: Khayria (full name not used for her security) in March 2025 at the front of her house, which was
bombed by the Israeli military. She and her family returned briefly during a ceasefire, but have now fled again, this time headed to a beach along the Mediterranean, taking
nothing with them. MCC photo/Mahmoud Meqdad
CMCC
Home
Give S ^ <\
Our StoriesA statement on Gaza
A statement on
Gaza
^ Palestine and Israel - Sep 2024
II Statements and Letters
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:1^Conflict
September 20, 2024
Lord, when was it that we saw you
hungry and gave you food?
For months, Palestinians in Gaza have faced deep food
insecurity and the threat of famine while enough food to feed everyone in Gaza2 is being prevented from getting in.
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), like other
organizations, has struggled to deliver humanitarian
assistance because the government of Israel is deliberately obstructing food and other essential supplies from entering Gaza.
Since October 2023, Israel has stopped issuing work visas' to humanitarian workers, impacting the ability of relief agencies, including the United Nations (UN), to effectively respond to the crises in Gaza and the West Bank. MCC's
Representatives for Jordan, Palestine and Israel were forced to relocate from Jerusalem to Amman, Jordan, in July
because Israel refused to renew their work visas.
Not only is Israel obstructing the delivery of food, it also routinely denies the entry of shelter materials, medical supplies and other humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Israel continues to subject Palestinians in Gaza to disease and death by obstructing the delivery of these life-saving items at a time when:
— 22% of the population is facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity (extreme lack of food, starvation and exhaustion of coping capacities) according to the
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).5
— 90% of the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza have been forcibly displaced.
— 85% of school buildings, 60% of residential buildings and 80% of commercial facilities in Gaza have been
damaged or destroyed.'
— 19 out of 36 hospitals8 have been destroyed while the remaining 17 hospitals are only partially operating.
— The majority of water facilities have been destroyed or left unable to operate, including a vital water treatment plant funded by the Canadian government that was
demolished by Israel.
— 57% of agricultural land has been destroyed, severely impacting future food self-reliance.
MCC is responding to the immense humanitarian crisis
through its partners in both Gaza and the West Bank. Our partners in Gaza are working tirelessly to help those most affected even though they themselves have been forcibly displaced multiple times and are living in terrible
conditions. They have experienced the deaths of multiple family members and relatives by Israeli missile strikes on the schools and tents where they sought refuge. Our partners speak of unimaginable terrors that they witness daily,
including the sight of children dying from malnutrition.
We call on our governments to do all they
can to ensure the safe delivery of aid to
those suffering in unimaginable conditions.
In Matthew 25, Jesus challenged followers to consider that when they turn away from someone who is hungry or sick, they are turning away from Jesus. As an organization that strives to share God's love and compassion for all through relief, development and peacebuilding, we call on our
governments to do all they can to ensure the safe delivery of aid to those suffering in unimaginable conditions.
— We urge the U.S. and Canadian governments to press
Israel to uphold its obligations under international
humanitarian law. This includes, as the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered, that Israel take "all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without
delay ...the unhindered provision at scale by all
concerned of urgently needed basic services and
humanitarian assistance to Palestinians throughout
Gaza/511
— We urge the U.S. government to resume funding for
UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency, as every other UNR^VA-funding country
including Canada, has already done.
— We urge the Canadian government to continue to
publicly condemn violations of international
humanitarian law, call for accountability for
perpetrators, and continue to push for increased
humanitarian aid access.
Lord, our hearts break to see your children suffering. Give us strength as we respond in your name to help those most affected by violence. We ask that you break all barriers and obstructions that prevent us from serving those who are hungry. Give us the courage and conviction to speak out against violence and hate. Change the hearts of the powerful so they may reflect your compassion.
They shall beat their swords into
plowshares
When the biblical prophet Isaiah observed the power of
violence to cause suffering and injustice. God gave him a vision of the future in which God's children would beat their swords into plowshares and would not know war
anymore (Isaiah 2:4). Anabaptists have a long history of rejecting the use of violence on a personal level, and of speaking out against all forms of violence, including
violence committed by governments.
We began our work in Gaza in 1949 in response to the
Nakba where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were
forcibly displaced to create the state of Israel. MCC
partners with Palestinians and Israelis to address
humanitarian needs of those affected by violence and to seek a just peace. MCC denounces this latest iteration of violence in which:
• Approximately 1,100 people in Israel were killed and
251 people were taken captive by Hamas.
• More than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israel; of those killed, about 40% were children.
• Over 10,000 people are estimated to be buried under the rubble in Gaza.
• More than 250 humanitarian workers, 500 medical
workers and 116 journalists have been killed by Israel. • 300 doctors have been indefinitely detained by Israeli officials and 54 journalists have been arrested.
• In Gaza, churches, mosques, schools, universities, UN buildings and tent encampments of displaced Palestinians in areas declared "humanitarian zones" by the Israeli
government have been systematically targeted by the Israeli military.
• Since October 2023, in the West Bank,13 more than
3,400 Palestinians have been displaced and more than 600 killed, some by the Israeli military and others by Israeli settlers.
As followers of Jesus, we have an opportunity—and a
responsibility—to intercede to stop this cycle of violence. In January 2024, MCC called for a halt to arms transfers to Israel and armed Palestinian groups from all states, a
movement that has grown to include over 250
humanitarian and human rights organizations, UN human
rights experts and several member states of the UN.
MCC has also advocated for the implementation of the ICJ provisional ruling issued in January which calls on Israel and all states to prevent genocide in Gaza. And we continue to call on our governments to work for a ceasefire, with the latest proposal agreed to by Hamas1 and endorsed by the UN Security Council but held up by Israel.18
• MC C applauds the recent decision by the government
of Canada to restrict arms sales to Israel, including from a U.S. subsidiary company based in Quebec, as well as the decision to stop issuing new permits since Mlarch of 2024.
We call on the Canadian government to continue to cancel arms permits issued before March of 2024. We also call for continued diplomatic engagement to push for a ceasefire. • MC C decries the near unmitigated military support that the U.S. government has provided to Israel to carry out a genocidal campaign against Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, supplying more than 50,000 tons of
military equipment to Israel since October 2023, part of US$230 billion20 in military aid since 1946. We call on the Biden-Harris Administration to immediately cease all
military support to Israel to comply with U.S. and
international law and with the ICJ's ruling to prevent
genocide.
• We remind the global community that the pillars of
international justice—the ICJ and the International
Criminal Court—were set up in the wake of World War I[
to prevent atrocity crimes. Their rulings must be respected, including the responsibility to withhold weapons from
countries where there is a plausible risk of atrocity crimes, such as genocide.
Lord, help us not to lose hope in the midst of violence and despair. Bless us once again with visions of peace in which the nations beat their swords into plowshares.
Encourage us as we transform spears into pruning hooks. Give us the confidence to advocate to the nations so that children born tomorrow can thrive in a world where they will not learn war anymore.
They shall all sit under their own
vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid
In Micah 4:4 we are gifted with the image of a community in which all "sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid." We dream of a time when Israelis and Palestinians flourish together in peace, when the world rejects militarism and war, and when we are all in right relation with God and neighbor.
As Rachel Beitarie, director ofZochrot, one ofMCC's
Israeli partners, put so well:
We cannot go back to the status quo. We must end the
occupation! But ...it is not enough to resist this occupation. We must offer an alternative vision.
JJ
Together, we can create ^future that is not based on
separation, dispossession, racism and the denial of all those but on solidarity, equality and justice. On the interconnected stories of us all that do not come at each other's expense.
Instead of placing our hopes in generals or tycoons, we can offer the solidarity among us and with our Palestinian sisters and brothers. Instead of power politics, [we can offer] the midwife's wisdom: To manage to see the potential of what is not yet born, what does not yet exist. A society that has not yet emerged, whose contours we do not yet see. To overcome fear a,nd take risks so that the future we want ca-n be brought into this world. A joint future for all the inhabitants of this land, for all the refugees, a society that will heal the wounds, and be based on compassion and love.
1 ... Let us be the midwives of this wonder. Let's keep pushing, let's keep laboring, until everyone is free.
We dream of a time when Israelis and
Palestinians flourish together in peace,
when the world rejects militarism and war,
and when we are all in right relation with
God and neighbor.
For more than 100 years, MCC has been committed to
working with partners around the world to build a future where each can sit under their own vine and fig tree.A
future of peace, rooted in justice. We remain committed to that vision today.
We encourage you to add your voice, to be a peacemaker:
• Pray: A_prayer for Palestine and Israel
• Take action: Advocate for peace to policymakers in the U.S. and Canada
• Learn: Encourage learning in your church/community:
MCC in Palestine and Israel I Peaceful Practices
Donate
Ann Graber Hershberger, MCC U.S. Executive
Director
Rick CoherBauman, MCC Canada Executive Director
Statement footnotes listed below.
Tags
( Palestine and Israel response
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A call to action
We encourage you to add your voice, to be a peacemaker:
Our heans break for the people of Israel—
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All links open in new window.
lhttps://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/07/un-
^perts-declare-famine-has-spread-throughout-gaza-strig
2https://abcnews.go.com/Intemational/food-feed-entire-
g^pulation-sitting-gaza-malnutrition-death/stor^?
id= 107865479
3 https://apnews.com/ardcle/israel-gaza-war-hamas-
humanitarian-
visas-5d306d367e6522495a4ee8045859a3b8
4https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/civilians-or- hamas-dual-use-issue-complicates-gaza-aid-
efForts-2024-01-05/
5 https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details- map/en/c/1157065/?iso3=PSE
6 https://www.ochaopt.org/content/reported-impact-
snapshot-gaza-strip-1 l-september-2024
7 https://www.ochaopt.org/content/reported-impact-
snapshot-gaza-strip-1 l-september-2024
8 https://www.ochaopt.org/content/reported-impact-
snapshot-gaza-strip-1 l-september-2024
9https://www.cbc.ca/news/polidcs/ottawa-calls-for-probe- into-demolished-canadian-water-treatment-plant-in-
gaza-1.7281666
10 https://unitar.org/about/news-stories/press/unosat-
and-fao-reveal-substantial-increase-damage-gazas-cropland- amid-ongoing-conflict
11 https://www.upi.com/Top News/World-
News/2024/03/28/netherlands-World-Court-Israel-Gaza-
famine/6281711678956/
12 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/15/israel-kills- more-than-40000-palesdnians-in-gaza-16456-of-them-
children
13 https://www.ochaopt.org/content/humanitarian-
situadon-update-213-west-bank
14 https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/
states-and-companies-must-end-arms-transfers-israel-
immediately-or-risk
15 https://www.icj-cij .org/sites/default/files/case-
related/192/192-20240126-ord-01-00-en.gdf
16 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israeli-airstrikes- kill-dozens-in-gaza-before-high-level-cease-fire-negotiadons- m-cairo
17 https://press.un.org/en/2024/scl5723.doc.htm
18https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153536
19https://www.newarab.com/news/us-sent-50000-tons-
military-equipment-israel
20 https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ
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Sabha, Tamer
From:
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cityclerk
Friday, December 19, 2025 1:49 PM
Iraheta, Alba; Jomsky, Mark; Robles, Sandra; Sabha, Tamer; McMillan, Acquanette (Netta); Soo, Christine
FW: SO THE ANTI-ISRAEL CROWD WANTS YOU TO SIDE WITH HAMAS...
From: cory brendel <-
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2025 1:49:04 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: cityclerk <[email protected]>
Subject: SO THE ANTI-ISRAEL CROWD WANTS YOU TO SIDE WFTH HAMAS... lYou don't often get email from^. Learn whvJ:his is important [A] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you fcnowthe content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0011474" on the DolT portal.
Please forward to the members of the Legislative Policy Committee: Steve Madison; Gene Masuda; Jess Rivas
The anti-lsrael people will deny my subject tine. They will call themselves "anti-Zionist." Let's face it - everybody knows that is politically correct code for anti-semitic... Has there ever been a time in all of history, when/where the Jews were in the minority, that worked out well for them? Nope.
Don't take sides. The Business of Pasadena should be business, not choosing political sides.
God knows we are buried in Anti-lsrael propaganda. Many in America have swallowed it. The recent shootings of Jews (almost daily) speak for themselves. Our churches and schools preach against Israel.
I'LL take the other side for the sake of argument, and to demonstrate how hot the Israel topic is: The Israeli army has proven itself to be the most moral and ethical military on the planet. Other nations are watching and learning from Israel's IDF how to reduce civilian casualties in impossibly chaotic and deadly urban warfare.
Instead of buying into Hamas propaganda from anti-Semites without any balance, please consider the analysis of military expert John Spencer, who has spent his life and career studying urban warfare:
https://www.newsweek.com/israel-has-created-new-standard-urban-warfare-why-witl-no-one-admit-it- opinion-1883286
My point is not to urge you to take a side. My goal is to convince you that doing so is so complex and controversial that you should avoid it like the plague. It's a lose-lose for the City of Pasadena.
CoryBrendel