Agenda, regular meeting, first session — San Bruno City Council, January 9, 2024

SAN BRUNO CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
January 9, 2024

Public Comment for Item 9a.

From: Omar Rashid
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: Add Ceasefire Resolution to the next City Council Agenda Date: Wednesday, January 3, 2024 10:54:03 PM
Hello,
I am a San Bruno resident and I urge you to take action and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza, and a release of all hostages, Israeli and Palestinian.

The only way to achieve peace is to use our collective voices to push our State representatives to make a ceasefire happen. Our voices will not amount to much alone, but already cities such as Richmond, Oakland, Seattle, Atlanta; Akron, Ohio; Wilmington, Delaware; and Providence, Rhode Island, and Detroit. More cities will soon join the growing calls for a peaceful and just end.

Ceasefire now!
Sincerely,
Omar Rashid
From: Linda Khoury-Umili
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: San Bruno Ceasefire Resolution - Public Statement - Jan 9th Date: Thursday, January 4, 2024 2:38:46 PM
Hi Lupita,
Please see my 1 min statement below which I will read on the Tuesday, the 9th. Please make my statement part of the public record. Thank you.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, my name is Linda Khoury. I grew up in the Palestinian community of San Bruno. As a human and as a Christian I am deeply concerned by the level of death and destruction being inflicted on the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. Israel is bombing all civilian infrastructure including churches. The Palestinian Christian community in Gaza numbers about 1,000 and is literally at risk of extinction.

Israel’s total siege of food, fuel, water and electricity on the strip has led to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. International aid organizations are begging for a ceasefire, without which they cannot provide the humanitarian aid that is in dire need. Without a ceasefire, civilian deaths will exponentially increase due to a manmade crisis of famine and disease.

As we know, “All politics is local”. I ask that you agendize the resolution for a permanent ceasefire, the allowance of unimpeded humanitarian aid into the strip and the return of all Israeli and Palestinian hostages. History will be our judge. Thank you. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Many thanks,
Linda Khoury-Umili

From: JENNIFER GOMEZ
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Ceasefire
Date: Thursday, January 4, 2024 3:21:03 PM
I am a San Bruno(Resident, who lives near skyline & Sneath lane I work at St.Mary’s medical center and am a member of SEIU-UHW and I urge you to take action and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza, and a release of all hostages, Israeli and Palestinian.

As a teenager, I went on a family vacation to the holy land. It was supposed to be the adventure of a life time. My dad is dark skinned. Every where we went we experienced the IDF stopping and harassing my family.

At the time I did not understand what we had done wrong. Why, we were stopped so many times. Asked how could we afford this trip many embarrassing questions. Now I understand it was based on how we look.

What’s happening in Palestine is racism at its core. It needs to end now.

Ceasefire now!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Gomez
Sent from my iPhone
From: ashkan
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Ceasefire Resolution
Date: Thursday, January 4, 2024 9:45:24 PM
Hello Lupita Huerta,
I'm writing to you today in support of San Bruno enacting a resolution in support of an end to the genocide in Palestine.

This is a human rights issue. "israel"'s genocide against Palestinians diminishes ALL of our collective humanity.

Two-thirds of American voters support a ceasefire in Palestine, yet the people paid to represent us in federal government refuse to do their jobs. Continued "american" support for the zionist settler-colony violates our own laws (Leahy law), because there's a plethora of evidence that "israel" engages in gross violations of human rights.

Billions of dollars has been provided by our leaders to the "israeli" apartheid regime without taxpayers' consent. This must end. It's up to you to make our voices be heard. "israel" consistently violates international law and is committing war crimes as I type this.

Palestinians have the internationally-recognized legal right to resist occupation by any means necessary, including armed forces when necessary, as is the case. Should you question this necessity, consider this: has any colonized people ever attained freedom through solely nonviolent resistance? The answer is no. So if you condemn Palestinian resistance, you blatantly disregard international law, but more importantly, you do not believe that they deserve the right of self-determination.

If you want to maintain a political career, you will help put a stop to this genocide: sign a resolution in support of a ceasefire now.

Thank you for standing on the right side of history.

Best,
a resident with a conscience
From: Robert Bernardo
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar Cc: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Agenda item related to the Middle East conflict - A "NO" position is the best position Date: Friday, January 5, 2024 12:42:02 PM
Dear Honorable Mayor Medina, Vice Mayor Salazar, and Councilmembers Hamilton, Alvarez, and Medina:

Happy new year and I hope this finds you well. It's my understanding that you will be considering an item on your Tuesday (Jan 9) agenda related to the Middle East conflict related to Gaza and Israel.

I am an openly-gay, Filipino, Jewish man and a 45-year resident of South San Francisco. I retired from local politics in 2018 after serving two terms as a countywide official in San Mateo County. I remain politically active in the county and I am very concerned about the rise of antisemitism in the world and especially in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I am urging the San Bruno City Council to NOT take a position on the conflict in Gaza:
1) It's not within the purview of local city governments to take sides on Middle East affairs, and
2) Your decisions can potentially have far-reaching, disastrous effects by fueling more anti-Jewish rhetoric and hostility.

Please let's NEVER FORGET that these are the same types of anti-Jewish rhetoric and hostilities that escalated and led to the murder of over six million Jews in the Holocaust in World War II. Right now, there are so many Jewish people including myself who wake up every day in fear of a local community that seems to hate us. Agenda items and resolutions that codify anti-Jewish hate only serve to confirm those fears.

My recommendation is that you instead take this agenda item as an opportunity to educate and bring the public together instead of potentially tearing them apart. Thank you for your time consideration.

Respectfully,
Robert Bernardo
South San Francisco, California
From: Zaynab Hararah
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: [Tuesday, 1/9 San Bruno Council Meeting] Public Comment for Zaynab Hararah Date: Friday, January 5, 2024 2:50:09 PM
Hi Lupita,
Happy New Year! I wanted to provide you with my public comment and request it be part of the public record ahead of the Tuesday, 1/9 San Bruno Council meeting.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Zaynab Hararah
--
My name is Zaynab and I am here to urge you to vote ‘YES’ to agendize a resolution calling for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza.

Since 2005, my family has been suffering under Israeli oppression and apartheid. That’s 18 years.

And since October 7, I have now lost over 50 family members in Gaza. That’s 5-0. In addition to the 20,000 other Palestinian civilians that have been massacred, 10,000 of which are children.

Our hard-earned tax-dollars have been and are still funding the killing of my family.

We need to end federal spending on militarism in Israel and focus on the development of our beautiful San Bruno economy and community. It is important for us to be seen, heard and protected by our city.

I call on you to stand on the right side of history, call for a ceasefire, allow unrestricted humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, and end all US funding to Israel.

From: Lori Reddy
To: City Clerk
Subject: No to Divisive Israel-Hamas Resolutions
Date: Friday, January 5, 2024 4:30:45 PM
To San Bruno City Council,
I am a Jewish resident of the Peninsula urging you to reject outside attempts to adopt divisive resolutions about the Israel-Hamas War.

As antisemitism and Islamophobia continue to escalate in the Bay Area, the introduction of one-sided resolutions about the Israel-Hamas War will only further inflame tensions between already traumatized Muslim and Jewish communities and create a forum for hate.

As the whole country witnessed in Oakland and Richmond, the consideration of these divisive resolutions results in hours of public comment plagued by antisemitic jeering and hateful conspiracy theories, as well as general confusion and lack of decorum.

During this time of rising hate and antisemitism, I’m asking you to lead with empathy and ensure all local residents feel supported and welcomed. The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has deeply impacted many members of our community. Many of us are in mourning. Inaccurate and one-sided resolutions will not solve the conflict or bring us any closer to peace. We must bring our community together – not pull ourselves apart.

Thanks for your compassion and understanding.

With gratitude,
Lori Reddy
From: Rawan Bakhit
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: Add Ceasefire Resolution to the next City Council Agenda Date: Friday, January 5, 2024 6:51:53 PM
I am a San Bruno resident in district 3 and I urge you to take action and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza, and a release of all Palestinian political prisoners.

I’ve lived my whole life in San Bruno and went to Allen elementary, Parkside, and Capuchino. I spent my time in high school volunteering with the Interact club and going to community events at San Bruno park. I spent my childhood at this same park and all my summers at the pool. When I started university, I worked briefly at the library before the pandemic. All this to say that throughout all this time, I’ve always felt safe as a Muslim and Palestinian in this diverse city. Now with a genocide happening to my people back home, I want to know that my beloved city will stand with us.

Ceasefire now!
Sincerely,
Rawan Bakhit
From: Crystal Totah
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: 1/9 public
Date: Friday, January 5, 2024 7:42:32 PM
Hello Lupita,
My name is Crystal Totah and I am unable to be at the city council meeting 1/9.

Please add to public record for the city council meeting ceasefire resolution (1/9) Good Evening council members.

My name is Crystal Totah and I am a Palestinian American. I have been working at my family business Totah Accounting, district 4 for the last 18 years. I have spent a majority of my time in San Bruno and contributed to our local economy. I am calling for a ceasefire and I urge you to vote yes to agendize a resolution.

We are and have been witnessing such devastation occurring in front of our eyes. This is a full blown humanitarian crisis and I cannot remain silent. This is a call for peace. We have all been impacted as a community. Many Palestinian owned businesses are located in San Bruno and we have contributed vastly to the growth of San Bruno.

I urge you to look past any ethnic or religious background to ensure all of us here are protected. As you may have seen, this has directly had an impact on both sides with hate crimes occurring statewide. Please take immediate action on calling for a resolution as it is only just a call for peace! Thank you
From: Wesam Dawah
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Jan 9th Public record comment
Date: Friday, January 5, 2024 8:05:25 PM
Hi Lupita,
Hope you're having a great day. Id like to add a comment to be part of the public record for the city council meeting on 1/9 regarding the ceasefire resolution Public statement: I Live in district 3 and support to agendise a humanitarian ceasefire and unristricted humanitarian aid resolution and here's why. Hundreds of our community members are personally affected and distressed by the indiscriminate killing of civilians and children in Gaza. A few days before Christmas day an elderly woman who sought out refuge in a Catholic church in Gaza was shot by a sniper inside the church. When her daughter came to her aid in the church they shot her too. I live right next to St Roberts Church and thought what if that happened right here? What makes that Church or elderly woman and her daughter any different than our churches and elderly neighbors in San Bruno? We must support a humanitarian ceasefire first to achieve peace and unity in our community and it begins right here in San Bruno our home.

San Bruno is recognized as the City With a Heart, supporing this resolution will continue to pump the heart with love, unity and support for all humanity just like how we supported Ukraine when we lifted their flag twice in front of city hall.

Thank you,
Wesam Dawah
From: Nicole H
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: 1/9 Public Comment
Date: Friday, January 5, 2024 8:42:11 PM
Hi Lupita,
I am emailing my public comment for 1/9 to save in the public record.

Thank you so much,
-Nicole Hanhan
Good evening Mayor and council members,
My name is Nicole Hanhan and I live in district 2. San Bruno is my home and it’s shaped who I am.

I’m a mental health professional and business owner. I’ve been specializing in the treatment of trauma for the past 10 years. I serve San Bruno as well as the greater Peninsula.

What I’m seeing and hearing locally and globally is a cry out for humanity. Going through that level of trauma will have an everlasting impact on the brain, and we are all experiencing that trauma vicariously.

This is undeniably a local issue that impacts community life. A resolution to stand in solidarity with humanity, to come together as a city to say that we support peace, we support life, is not racist or threatening. Peace should not be threatening. Peace is not divisive. Silence is.

I feel a sense of responsibility to take action, as I, and many others, do not represent our government, who continue to silence us and misrepresent us. So I stand before you today as my civic duty to advocate for humanity and express my distaste in the deafening silence regarding this matter.

Some believe that this is out of their hands but that is boldly inaccurate, neglectful, and lacks the core principals of being a public servant and the voices of the people.

Communities come together during struggle, but silence will only push us further apart. Regardless of our backgrounds, beliefs, or origins, we all inhabit this fragile planet, and our collective destiny rests upon our ability to unite.

As a person of conscience, we need to be doing more. Agendize this resolution for the sake of preserving humanity and protecting those who live in the city with a heart.

Thank you.

From: Elissa McQuaid
To: Rico Medina
Cc: Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; City Clerk Subject: Say NO to a Ceasefire Resolution!
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 10:12:22 AM
Dear Mayor Medina, Vice Mayor Salazar and Councilmembers, I am a resident of San Mateo County and a US citizen. I'm deeply concerned about the allowance on local government agendas (link) of a ceasefire resolution. Not only are international affairs resolutions outside the scope of local councils, but a cease-fire resolution at this time is fundamentally racist in nature. I urge you to resist pressure from anyone bringing these resolutions to the table, and if forced, urge you to vote “NO” to one- sided ceasefire resolutions.

So often, these one-sided resolutions fail to mention the terrorist group Hamas as the responsible party in the current conflict. They broke the ceasefire that was in place on October 7, 2023 by murdering, torturing, raping and kidnapping Israeli civilians. In their charter, Hamas's goal is to destroy Israel and murder all Jews. They have promised to repeat the horror of October 7 over and over again. The resolutions also fail to mention that Hamas, the rulers of Gaza (and originally voted in by the people of Gaza in 2005 after which they seized power permanently), have purposefully built their terror infrastructure in hospitals, schools and underneath populated areas of Gaza with the express purpose of "martyring" their own citizens as human shields. There is not a single bomb shelter in Gaza for civilians, only tunnels for the express protection of Hamas terrorists. These resolutions also fail to mention the hundreds of thousands of Israeli children (and the population in general) that have grown up under constant rocket fire.

Israel has a right to defend itself. There is no conflation of the October 7 victims (an actual genocide) with the consequent attack on Hamas terrorists in Gaza with the horrific death of civilians (victims of war). People who suggest ceasefire resolutions in the Israel-Hamas war are acting in bad faith. Their goal is to destroy the only Jewish nation in the world. Ask yourselves why no similar resolution has been proposed against Russia after they invaded Ukraine, or against Saudi Arabia that has killed over a quarter million Yemenites, or for the perpetrators of conflict in Ethiopia where over half a million people have perished in the past two years. There's a reason for this and it's not because members in your community are not affected by these other conflicts. Please ask yourselves the hard questions of why Israel is held to a different standard than other nations. The only Jewish state in the world, born from the horrors of the Holocaust and the most successful and ancient indigenous peoples liberation movement on the planet.

I am happy to provide documentation for all of my statements above and to share materials regarding the history of Israel and the current conflict. A history that spans over three thousand years of Jewish presence in the region. This conflict is not 75 years old. Israel has a right to exist. Anyone calling for a ceasefire without holding Hamas to account does not care about creating lasting peace in the region and a brighter future for the Palestinian people side-by-side with their democratic multi-cultural and multi-ethnic neighbor, Israel.

I call on you to do your job as a civil servant - focus on local issues, not international affairs. With ceasefire resolutions emboldening further racist and uncivil activity with the communities where they have been introduced and sometimes passed, there's clear evidence they sow division and hatred in their communities. Please focus on bringing your community together. Our beautiful American diversity should continue to be a strength, and any voices that say otherwise shouldn't be taken at face value.

Thank you for listening and Happy New Year,
Elissa McQuaid
--
Elissa McQuaid, WSET II with Distinction
Pronouns: she, her, hers

From: Karen Fiss
To: City Clerk
Subject: Fwd: VOTE AGAINST ISRAEL-HAMAS RESOLUTION
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 10:40:18 AM
Please add to record.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Karen Fiss
Date: Sat, Jan 6, 2024 at 9:01
AM
Subject: VOTE AGAINST ISRAEL-HAMAS RESOLUTION
To: <[email protected]
>, <[email protected]>,
<[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]> Dear San Bruno Council members,
I am urging you to reject outside attempts in San Bruno to adopt divisive resolutions about the Israel Hamas war. As antisemitism and Islamophobia continue to escalate in our area, one-sided resolutions only further inflame tensions between our already traumatized communities, fostering hate and intimidation.

I am a history
professor whose area of specialization is fascism in the 1930s, as well as on postcolonial/decolonial issues and historical trauma in South Africa and Vietnam.

I am also the daughter of Holocaust survivors. I know from my parents' experiences what it means when the city one has lived in one’s whole life decides your existence is not worth protecting and starts passing laws or resolutions that target your racial, ethnic and religious identity. If you pass a highly charged resolution on foreign issues - such as Israel and Gaza - issues that fall outside your
purview
- you are actually engaging and fomenting state sponsored antisemitism. This is not the role of city governance. My parents understood from horrible personal experiences that governments should not target a minority community, which is why they became so involved in the civil rights movement.

Whatever your personal political beliefs, you are betraying your government responsibilities if you prioritize them in your work as a local city council member.

Nothing you vote on in
San Bruno will actually
have any administrative or legal
impact on the conflict or on the US Federal government’s policies. Rather, the primary impact of your political action is fomenting division within your own community, which as an elected official you have been entrusted with protecting.

You are also de facto condoning the targeting of Jews by anyone else in our

community who would see the resolution as affirmation or permission. It is abundantly clear that increased level of antisemitic incidents are already dangerous. Since October 7, they have risen 400%. Antisemitic attacks were already rising at an alarming rate before this conflict began.

Jews experience the
most
religiously targeted hate crimes of any other group, far outnumbering the second-largest category of religious hate, anti-Muslim crimes. Stores and businesses owned by Jews
are
being vandalized.

Synagogues have had
to increase security and limit access to their buildings as advised by the FBI which tracks such threats.

My local synagogue,
in fact, had to close down this week due to a bomb threat.

Students in schools and on campuses are increasingly isolated and scared. You should know that all Jews
have
experienced threats, loss of friendship and loss of
business.

If you choose to pass a resolution on an overseas conflict, one that would clearly condemn Israel alone or would question its legitimacy as a nation, you are communicating to your Jewish
constituents
that they are not really part of your
community. They have a “special status.” You would be deliberately targeting the Jewish
population, who are
also your constituents and live in your city alongside
many other ethnic, racial and religious groups. You would be doing so, knowing full well that the vast majority of Jews
support
Israel’s right to exist and regard its
security as intrinsically connected to our own safety as individuals and as a community that has suffered genocide. Jewish
history
is marked by centuries of
discrimination and repeated attempts to annihilate it throughout the world. You would be turning a deaf ear to the fear and emotional distress that your Jewish
community is experiencing
right now.

Adopting any resolutions on foreign policy, particularly when it impacts a protected class of citizens, is beyond the role of the San Bruno Council. The
role
of the City Council is to set "...goals and priorities for the City. The council approves the City budget, adopts ordinances to help the City serve its community members, and appoints members to various boards and commissions." The current crisis is incredibly complex with deep historical and geopolitical roots in the Middle East. Again, whatever your opinions/beliefs on such matters, passing a one-sided political resolution goes far beyond your role as City Council members and should be kept separate from Council business - otherwise you are indeed knowingly participating in state-sponsored discrimination and targeted antisemitism. Israel is an important and central part of Jewish religion
and identity
for the overwhelming majority of Jews - whether
you approve or not. I cannot
think of any other racial, religious or ethnic group that is not allowed to define what constitutes hatred of its own people. What other minority has the terms of its own discrimination dictated to them? Who decided Zionism is Racism? What other minority is repeatedly told what is and is not racist discrimination targeting them? I can’t imagine doing that to any of my friends who identify as Black, LatinX or Asian... I can't imagine dismissing the rights and belief system of any religious, racial or ethnic community with whom I have so long worked alongside as an ally.

Once again, I urge you to respect your role as an elected official who represents your community, ALL of your community.

Passing a
resolution unilaterally
condemning Israel and denying its right to exist will not further the cause of peace.

It
will not promote more dialogue and understanding of our shared humanity. It will sadly not protect innocent Palestinian civilians. It will only further foment further division, hate and antisemitism in our community.

Sincerely,
Professor Ren Fiss
From: Julia Lutch
To: City Clerk
Subject: Please vote against the ill-considered "ceasefire," which will guarantee another war.

Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 10:58:25 AM
You should have debated voting for a cease-fire resolution during all the years when Hamas was launching rockets into Israel BEFORE 10/7
But no one cared enough to call for a cease fire when rockets were aimed by Hamas at civilian areas in Israel.

That is part of the reason there is a war now. Your silence gave assent to the attack of 10/7.

Julia Lutch - friends in San Bruno are concerned

From: Natalie Savin
To: City Clerk
Subject: Fwd: Concerned re Ceasefire Resolution
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 11:00:31 AM
Please see email chain below as Marty said I should forward this to the city clerk.

Thank you!!
From: Marty Medina <[email protected]>
Date: January 6, 2024 at 12:31:36 PM CST
To: Natalie Savin < >
Subject:

Re: Concerned re Ceasefire Resolution
Good morning,
Thank you for your email. I have spoken and met with
various San Bruno residents in the past weeks and have
heard numerous heartbreaking experiences from both

sides.

Based on the number of emails I have received in the
last few days, I will not have the time to speak to
everyone or actively engage via email.

Please be assured I have read each email and I
sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your
concerns regarding this sensitive subject.

Additionally
the “draft” resolution is not finalized and is subject to change based on public input.

If you want your email to be included in the public record please send a copy to the city clerk,
[email protected]
Sincerely,

Marty
Marty Medina
San Bruno City Council, District 4
On Jan 5, 2024, at 7:26 PM, Natalie Savin
> wrote:

Dear Councilor Medina,

I am a San Bruno resident, and my family has lived in San Bruno for several decades. I am surprised and shocked that the “ceasefire resolution” is on the agenda for the San Bruno city council. First, I think it’s ridiculous that our city is spending precious money and time to discuss a resolution about a foreign war that our US troops are not even part of when our councilors should be focused on improving our city. Second, reading the proposed resolution, there are some misperceptions that are unjust and misleading. Third, our city with a “heart” only seems to have a heart for Arab-Americans (as specifically noted in the proposed resolution), many of whom believe that Jews “deserved” what happened on Oct 7
th.

This ceasefire resolution, which has already taken time and money, will end up costing over $500,000 with the time spent by councilors, support staff, and all those taking time to agitate for or against this resolution. Instead, our city which should be flourishing, has been stagnant whilst SSF and other local cities have been much more successful Our schools are dismal; Allen is rated 3/10 and our only middle school Parkside is rated 4/10 on GreatSchools.org. San Bruno has witnessed shootings, people fighting on the street and ending up in hospitals, a growing number of homeless, and much of the city looks run down as nothing new ever gets permitted to be built.

Finally, the kids’ programs from park & rec are among the worst in the Bay Area. As a resident and mother of young children, this deeply saddens me. Thus, the fact that we are focusing on a foreign war versus what’s happening in our own backyard is, as a local taxpayer,

completely unacceptable.

Notwithstanding the fact that the ceasefire resolution should not be on the city agenda, the current draft of the proposal is unjust, misleading, and antisemitic in its sentiment. And while hate is denounced this seems like a smoke screen for attacking a sovereign (Jewish) state. San Bruno council is not equipped to be able to research or understand the nuances of a foreign war. This much is evident from the wording of the resolution. First, where did the number of 20,000 civilians killed come from? All US newspapers make the point that figures for civilian deaths are provided by Hamas and are likely to be highly politicized and need to be treated with extreme caution. The resolution highlights one-sided devastation for Palestinians with loss of housing, etc. However, you fail to mention that approximately 200,000
Israelis have been evacuated from their
homes near the Gaza and Lebanon borders due to constant missiles being fired by Hamas. More so, you fail to mention that on Oct 7th almost 1500 Israelis were killed, many women raped, and children tortured. Hundreds were dragged from their homes as hostages, many of whom are still held by Hamas. This was done by terrorists during a holiday weekend; imagine if this was your son or daughter….raped, taken hostage, tortured. On Dec 20
th, Israel
offered Hamas a ceasefire in exchange for 40 hostages, but this was rejected by Hamas. You ask for a bilateral ceasefire, which in any normal circumstance would make sense, however, these are terrorists who have professed to repeat the Oct 7
th massacre once
re-organized. The main goal of Hamas is to “wipe Israel off the map” by killing all the Jews (it’s in their doctrine). As a city and country, we should fight terrorism just like we did during 9/11 rather than supporting terrorism. And by voting for this ceasefire resolution, we as a city will be supporting terrorists and terrorism!

Finally, in the resolution, you specifically highlight Arab-Americans and Palestinians but no word is mentioned about the suffering of Jews and the rise of antisemitism in our neighborhoods and schools.

Many Arab Americans believe that Israel and the Jewish people should NOT exist with slogans like “from the rivers to the seas Palestine will be free”, they call for intifada which is the annihilation of Jews, and believe Oct 7
th massacre was deserved – “resistance is
justified when people are occupied”. While you state that San Bruno does not promote hate, those slogans are very much hateful, antisemitic, and destructive. If you vote for the ceasefire resolution you will be supporting this hate.

As an SB resident, taxpayer, mother, volunteer, and community member I ask you to vote NO on the ceasefire resolution.

Best,
Natalie Savin

SB Resident

From: Joanne Donsky
To: City Clerk
Subject: Please vote not to act on--or oppose--a Hamas/Israel ceasefire resolution Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 11:00:50 AM
Dear Members of the San Bruno City Council,
I am writing to ask that you vote not to act on a resolution re: the Hamas/Israel war. If the Council should decide to discuss and vote on such a resolution, I urge you to vote no.

Clearly, you have plenty of important city issues to discuss that are in line with what you are meant to do. Local resolutions regarding the war between Israel and Hamas, on the other hand, do not benefit the local community.

Rather, they only serve to raise tensions in by providing a forum for antisemitism and animosity against the Jewish and Israeli communities. I would hope that you agree that this is not in the best interest of anyone in the community.

Many thanks!
Joanne Donsky
From: Danielle Brandys
To: City Clerk
Subject: Fwd: Safety concerns from a San Bruno mental health therapist Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 11:10:55 AM
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

From: Danielle Brandys < >
Date: January 5, 2024 at 8:59:12 AM PST
To: Nathan Brandys < >
Subject: Fwd: Safety concerns from a San Bruno mental health therapist Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

From: Marty Medina <[email protected]>
Date: January 5, 2024 at 8:54:43 AM PST
To: Danielle Brandys < >
Subject: Re: Safety concerns from a San Bruno mental health therapist
Good morning,
Thank you for your email.

I have spoken to residents on both sides of this issue and I am available to talk to you.

Please let me know when you are available: a couple dates/times.

I am typically flexible 10- Noon, 1-3PM.

Sincerely,
Marty
Marty Medina
San Bruno Councilman

District 4

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On Jan 4, 2024, at 8:02 PM, Danielle Brandys
<d > wrote:

Dear San Bruno Council members,
I am writing to you as a mental health therapist, and a mother, in regards to your upcoming attempt to pass a
ceasefire resolution. I find it deeply, deeply concerning and terrifying that the city of San Bruno is putting forth such a vote and calling for a ceasefire. A call for
ceasefire without first demanding the release of hostages and condemning
a terror organization (Hamas) is
incredibly antisemitic, ignorant of the rise of
antisemitism and its implications in the United States, and dismissive of the events that occured on October 7th.

I believe that passing a ceasefire resolution would not only make Jewish individuals in San Bruno feel unsafe,
but underscore that antisemitism is tolerated and
acceptable. If such a resolution were to pass, I would no longer feel safe here, and would absolutely not feel okay with one penny of tax money going to the city. Imagine
that kind of message calling for a ceasefire would send to Jews: You are no longer safe here. Hide.

Please hear my concern, and address antisemitism, the
release of hostages, and condemnation of Hamas and its
atrocious acts against innocent lives that occured on
October 7th. Calling for Israel to ceasefire without the demands mentioned above would be extremely one-sided
and antisemitic, and most importantly, un-American.

I would also like to add that I do not believe the city has any place in wasting time, money, and energy on such a
thing, where there are serious problems such as
education, budget, downtown businesses, and
homelessness that need to be addressed.

Please feel free to contact me if I could provide any kind of comment or add any other concerns. I would be more
than happy to connect.

Concerned
citizen,
Danielle Brandys, Licensed Marriage and Family

Therapist
--
Danielle Brandys, MA, LMFT 128853
In case of emergency, please call Psychiatric Emergency Services at 650-573-2662, Crisis Hotline at 650-579-
0350, the Crisis Text Line: text "HOME" to 741-741 or
dial 911 for immediate help.

For non-emergencies in
California: Peer-Run Warm Line (855) 845-7415.

From: Danielle R.

To: City Clerk
Subject: Fwd: Concerned San Bruno Resident about Upcoming City of San Bruno Proposed Resolution Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 11:11:36 AM
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

From: "Danielle R." < >
Date: January 5, 2024 at 4:07:25 PM PST
To:

Subject: Fwd: Concerned San Bruno Resident about Upcoming City of San Bruno Proposed Resolution
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

From:

Date: January 5, 2024 at 4:06:23 PM PST
To: Danielle Rayzberg < >
Subject: Fwd: Concerned San Bruno Resident about Upcoming City of San Bruno Proposed Resolution
Nathan Brandys
Begin forwarded message:

From: Nathan Brandys < >
Date: January 4, 2024 at 9:02:37 PM PST
To: [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]
Subject: Concerned San Bruno Resident about
Upcoming City of San Bruno Proposed Resolution
San Bruno City Council,
My name is Nathan Brandys and I am writing
as a

concerned resident of San Bruno, who is also Jewish. In a recent article in the San Mateo Daily Journal, there is a call for a cease-fire resolution to be brought up for a vote in context to the war between Israel and the US
named terrorist group, Hamas
(https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/calls-for-a- cease-fire-resolution-in-san-bruno/article_fb4b58ea-
9b03-11ee-bf24-ef2e5953eda6.html). A call for
ceasefire with the terrorist group Hamas without any
condemnation or stance against it is a grave concern for the Jewish community and makes us reconsider if San
Bruno is a safe place for Jewish families.

This has brought me to bring up the following
observations and concerns, as well as provide
suggestions
for the city council to consider. The
hyperlinked words/sentences link to important articles
for
reference.

Concerns/Observations:

The San Mateo Daily Journal article and proposed
resolution are one sided and do not take into
consideration important facts. No where in the article or in the aforementioned
potential resolution is there a call
for
Hamas, the US named terrorist organization, to return
the over 120 hostages that includes at least 6 identified American citizens. Hamas, a US named terrorist
organization, has called for the "Death to America" and the western values we all live by. No where in the article or proposed
resolution is there a call for Hamas to
surrender to return the hostages and surrender which by definition
reaches an immediate ceasefire.

Hamas, a US named terrorist organization, has also been proven guilty and complicit in the rape, murder and
mutilation of innocent civilians, which includes
American citizens. I am providing you an article written by the NY Times (which has 100's of times not
supported Israel throughout any conflict) which dives
deep into the sexual violence and burtallity used by
Hamas during thier terrorist attack in Israel on
10/7/2023. There is also video proof of the atrocities conducted by Hamas during October 7th 2023 from the
body cams of Hamas terrorists, that was presented to the US congress. This video can be played for the City
Council.

No where in the San Mateo Daily Journal
article and proposed resolution is there a call of
condemnation of using sexual violence against women.

Not covered in the article but can be seen in the video are the beheadings, brunings and brutal murders of children, seniors and innocent civilians only because they were
Jewish. Since the article is not an official City of San Bruno document, it is important the Mayor's office and
city council clarify where they stand in regards to these events that started the war between Hamas
and Israel. If
these actions did not take place there would be no war
and no need to call for a ceasefire.

The loss of innocent civilian life is indeed tragic in Gaza as it is in any war. It is clear that this war is
unconventional as it is not between 2 nations but rather between the legitimate country and US ally Israel, and
Hamas,
It is well documented and proven that Hamas
uses Palestinians as human shields and attacks Israel via rocket fire and underground tunnels built on and
underneath schools and hospitals. No where in the
article or proposed resolution does it condemn Hamas for being the primary cause of civilian deaths in Gaza.

Indeed if Hamas cared about Palestinian citizens it would not hide amongst them while attacking Israeli military
positions which would lead to response and inevitable
civilian deaths.

San Bruno is home to many US military veterans. In the
aftermath of 9/11 many of our veterans
lost lives and
family members protecting our freedom in Iraq and
Afghanistan. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11 Hamas
,
celebrated the death of Americans by passing out candies in the street. While Israel, the only democracy in the middle east, is one of the only countries in the world
with a monument to commemorate the victims and
heroes of 9/11. No where in the article or proposed
resolution does it condemn Hamas for anti American
actions or put any blame on them for what is going on in Gaza today. Calling for a ceasefire with Hamas,
is a
show of weakness and disregard to all our American
brothers and sisters who have fought to keep America
and its allies safe.

Suggestions:

In the San Mateo Daily Journal article it is stated
the
council member Marty Medina is eager to take
action. If indeed we will be spending the time and
taxpayer
money to focus on a resolution about the war in
Gaza instead of focusing on our many everyday
problems facing the citizens of San Bruno, I would like to make the following suggestion to incorporate into the resolution. :

From: Danielle Brandys
To: City Clerk
Subject: Fwd: Sample Nuance Statements
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 11:11:51 AM
Attachments: image001.png
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

From: Danielle Brandys < >
Date: January 5, 2024 at 7:06:43 PM PST
To: Marty Medina <[email protected]>
Cc: Nathan Brandys < >
Subject: Re: Sample Nuance Statements
Dear Marty,
Thank you again for your openness and time today. I am currently organizing more Jewish voices to attend the meeting on Tuesday, however, many have expressed a serious concern for their safety (both physical and verbal) based on similar ceasefire meetings that have occurred recently. Can you guarantee this safety for us at the meeting?
Sincerely,
Danielle Brandys

Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 5, 2024, at 11:43 AM, Marty Medina
<[email protected]> wrote:

Good morning,
Thank you for meeting with me today….

As requested I have cc’d Jonathan Mintzer, JCRC.

Sincerely,
Marty
Marty Medina
San Bruno Councilman

District 4
650-580-3445

Download the San Bruno Responds App to report issues such as illegal dumping, potholes, sidewalk issues, graffiti, tree concerns and more.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Marty Medina <[email protected]>
Date: December 30, 2023 at 12:09:56
PM PST
To: Tom Hamilton <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: Sample Nuance Statements

Sincerely,
Marty
Marty Medina
San Bruno Councilman

District 4
650-580-3445
Download the
San Bruno Responds App to report issues
such as illegal dumping, potholes, sidewalk
issues, graffiti, tree concerns and more.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Jonathan Mintzer
>
Date: December 21, 2023 at 3:12:20
PM
PST
To: Marty Medina
<[email protected]>
Subject: Sample Nuance Statements
https://engardio.com/blog/ceasefire-resolution
https://raskin.house.gov/2023/11/statement-
of-congressman-jamie-raskin-november-17-
2023
https://porter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?
DocumentID=585
https://www.facebook.com/councilmemberjimenez/

Jonathan Mintzer
Director of External Relations

Cell:

JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL
Connect on LinkedIn | Schedule a meeting on Calendly

From: Najwa Baba
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Lupita Huerta; Michael Salazar; Vicky Hasha; Lupita Huerta
Subject: Najwa Baba and I want a cease fire resolution in San Bruno Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 11:27:01 AM
Hello All,
My name is Najwa Baba, and I’ve been a San Bruno resident for 34 years. I live in District one now but also lived in District 2 for 2 years in the 90’s.

I urge you to take action and agendize the resolution calling for an immediate bilateral permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza, and the release of all hostages, Israeli and Palestinian.

As a human with the heart, I do not want my tax dollars to pay for genocide of my Palestinian people. Palestinians are very hospitable people and very kind. We welcome people with open arms to our homes and put a spread enough to feed the whole city. Even if two people are coming, we make enough to feed 20. We love to help people. My parents left Ramallah in 1973 to bring us to the States to make a better life for us and leave the occupation. Since then my parents, brothers, myself and my husband pay taxes and are good standing American citizens. So therefore, I would like my tax dollars to help my children find affordable housing, lower college tuition, lower healthcare, and help the homeless instead of killing my people in Palestine.

Thank you,
Najwa Baba
District 1
From: Sivan Hecht
To: Rico Medina
Cc: Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; City Clerk Subject: Say NO to a Ceasefire Resolution!
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 1:04:28 PM
Dear Mayor Medina, Vice Mayor Salazar and Council members, I am a resident of San Mateo County. I'm deeply concerned about the allowance on local government agendas (link) of a ceasefire resolution. Not only are international affairs resolutions outside the scope of local councils, but a cease-fire resolution at this time is fundamentally racist in nature. I urge you to resist pressure from anyone bringing these resolutions to the table, and if forced, urge you to vote “NO” to one-sided ceasefire resolutions.

So often, these one-sided resolutions fail to mention the terrorist group Hamas as the responsible party in the current conflict.

In their charter, Hamas's goal is to destroy Israel, eradicate all Jews and launch a global jihad.

They refuse any peace agreement since that contrary to the Jihad.

Understanding Hamas’s Genocidal Ideology
theatlantic.com
As Hillary Clinton said, there was a cease-fire on Oct. 6 that Hamas broke by their barbaric assault on peaceful civilians and their kidnapping of children, murdering and burning alive entire families, their beheading, raping, their terrible inhumane savagery. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/hamas-israel-ceasefire-humanitarian- pause-gaza/675992/
War is terrible, and nobody in Israel wants it.

Hamas has clearly stated that they intend to commit these atrocities of October 7 over and over again.

No life desiring country can live with that threat.

The only possible reason for the hypocritical, double standard calls for ceasefire is the notion that the Jewish state has no right to exist and defend itself.

Hamas could get a real and lasting cease-fire for the people of Gaza - and probably safe passage out of the territory for many of its members - in exchange for releasing all the hostages, surrendering its arms and renouncing its rule in favor of some other Arab power.

That Hamas has done none of these things isn't shocking: It's a terrorist death cult.

What's shocking is that ceasefire resolutions do not appear to have much interest in making any demands of Hamas equivalent to those they make of Israel.

Israel pulled out of Gaza n 2005, nearly20 years ago.

Hamas was elected in Gaza 2 years later.

Its stated, official purpose, is the annihilation of the Jewish state and people.

A rational entity in Gaza would have had a peaceful relationship of Israel years ago.

But if Israel had an open border for Hamas, nobody would been alive in Israel, by now.

Per their stated purpose, Hamas has bombarded Israel with rocket attacks since they took power, culminating in the massacre of 10/7.

The resolutions fail to mention that Hamas, the rulers of Gaza have purposefully built their terror infrastructure in hospitals, schools and underneath populated areas of Gaza with the express purpose of "martyring" their own citizens as human shields. There is not a single bomb shelter in Gaza for civilians, only tunnels for the express protection of Hamas terrorists.

These resolutions also fail to mention the hundreds of thousands of Israeli children (and the population in general) that have grown up under the constant rocket fire.

Israel is a Democratic sovereign country fighting against a murderous terrorist organization that has vowed for its destruction.

What would the US do in a similar situation?
Israel has a right to defend itself. There is no conflation of the October 7 victims (an actual genocide) with the consequent attack on Hamas terrorists in Gaza with the horrific death of civilians (victims of war). People who suggest ceasefire resolutions in the Israel-Hamas war are acting in bad faith. Their goal is to destroy the only Jewish nation in the world.

Were there demands for ceasefire resolutions when the west was fighting ISIS in Mosul? Or Nazi Germany?
Please ask yourselves the hard questions of why Israel is held to a different standard than other nations. The only Jewish state in the world, born from the horrors of the Holocaust and the most successful and ancient indigenous peoples liberation movement on the planet.

Anyone calling for a ceasefire without holding Hamas to account does not care about creating lasting peace in the region and a brighter future for the Palestinian people side-by-side with their democratic multi-cultural and multi-ethnic neighbor, Israel.

I call on you to do your job as a civil servant - focus on local issues, not international affairs.

With ceasefire resolutions emboldening further racist and uncivil activity with the communities where they have been introduced and sometimes passed, there's clear evidence they sow division and hatred in their communities.

In the meeting you may hear the false assertion that somehow local tax dollars are going to fund a war.

However, local taxes pay for local services. If residents have understandable concerns with where their federal tax dollars are spent, they can talk to their federal representatives.

Please focus on bringing your community together. Our beautiful American diversity should continue to be a strength, and any voices that say otherwise shouldn't be taken at face value.

Thank you for listening and Happy New Year,
Sivan Hecht
From: sheila dudum
To: Rico Medina; Sandy Alvarez; Tom Hamilton; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: My name is Sheila Dudum and I want a ceasefire resolution in San Bruno Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 2:58:34 PM
Hello City Council Members,
My name is Sheila Dudum and I am a San Bruno Resident in District 2. My children attended John Muir, El Crystal and Parkside Intermediate Schools.

This is not a political or religious request. This is a humanitarian request. We need your help to push this humanitarian cause to our top officials. Over 30,000 lives have been taken in 88 days; Palestinian and Israeli's included. They have no water, no food, no medical aid. Our community has lost family because of the lack of aid.

Sincerely,
Sheila Dudum
Best,
Sheila
From: Kinda Dawah
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Marty Medina; Sandy Alvarez; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: My name is Kinda and I want a ceasefire resolution in San Bruno Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 3:24:51 PM
Hello council members, my name is Kinda,and I am a San Bruno resident of 23 years.

As someone who has strong ties and roots in this city it is important for me to know that I am raising my young toddler in a city that values peace and unity, the makes a conscious effort to make all residents feel safe and seen during times where it's very easy to be divided. Please show us this city cares about all of its memebers and agendize this resolution that promotes the rivival of humanity!
Thank you,
Kinda Dawah
From: stuart oremland
To: City Clerk
Subject: Fwd: Hateful Resolution being proposed
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 3:28:11 PM
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: stuart oremland < >
Date: Sat, Jan 6, 2024 at 12:49 PM
Subject: Hateful Resolution being proposed
To: <[email protected]
>, <[email protected]>,
<[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]> I am a resident of Portola Valley. As an employee of Genesys, long located in next door Daly City I have many friends in your city.

As a representative of AJC (American Jewish Committee) Northern California, I am deeply concerned by the consideration of a resolution concerning the Israel-Hamas war at the meeting of the San Bruno City Council. Here are just a few reasons to vote no on considering any resolution related to the Israel-Hamas war:
1) Resolutions like this have caused harm and sowed division in every city where they have been considered; the public comments on the resolution will inevitably elicit extreme and antisemitic opinions that will create strife in the community (even if the resolution is not passed.) 2) Such resolutions do nothing to further the cause of peace either in a geopolitical conflict halfway around the world or here in our community.
3) Similar resolutions in Richmond and Oakland fomented hateful rhetoric, promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories, and caused the Jewish members of those communities to feel unsafe there.

Stuart Oremland

From:

To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Meryana katout public comment
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 3:53:49 PM
Hello council members. My name is Meryana Katout. I am a Palestinian American and I have been a District 3 San Bruno resident for the last 34 years. When Russia began bombarding Ukraine, we raised the Ukrainian flag. Israel is doing the same to Palestinians. We aren’t asking you to raise our flag, we just want you to pass a resolution saying that this is not okay. It should never happen to anyone. If San Bruno can raise a flag for a white country, but can’t even say that a brown country should stop being killed, there’s only one word for that. Don’t let San Bruno look racist. Please vote to agendize the ceasefire resolution, that demands a release of all hostages and immediate humanitarian aid. Thank you for your time.

Also; please kindly make it a part of the public record for agenda item 9a.

Sent from my iPhone

From: Ramy Salah
To: Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Rico Medina; Sandy Alvarez; Tom Hamilton; Vicky Hasha; Marty Medina Subject: Ceasefire Resolution
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 5:01:15 PM
Dear Mayor Medina and City Council members,
I write to you as a father, a physician, and the president of Yaseen Foundation (the Peninsula's largest Muslim community with mosques/centers in Belmont and Burlingame, though many congregants, including myself, are from San Bruno).

I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to discuss agendizing the call for a ceasefire resolution. You may be hearing that such a resolution divides people, but that couldn't be further from the truth. War divide people, peace brings them together. I have never felt more in touch with my community in San Bruno more than I do now. I've met and reconnected with people of all faiths and backgrounds, all linked by the basic call to uphold humanity and work towards peace. That starts with a ceasefire, release of all hostages, and allowing in unrestricted aid.

Thank you once again and I am looking forward to seeing/meeting you on Tuesday.

Sincerely,
Ramy Salah
From: Myron Hewski
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: Please support a humanitarian ceasefire
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 6:18:04 PM
Hello San Bruno Council Members,
My name is Myron Hewski and I have lived in San Bruno for over 10 years (district 3). My kids go to Allen Elementary and I am a member of Local 104.

I urge you to take action and agendize the resolution calling for an immediate bilateral permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza, and a release of all hostages, Israeli and Palestinian. I am Ukrainian and appreciate your support for our people. Please extend the same solidarity for the people of Palestine. Their suffering is far greater than ours.

Thank you,
Myron
From: [email protected]
To: City Clerk
Cc: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar Subject: No Resolutions that would Divide our Community Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 6:44:33 PM
Honorable council members,
Please note this for public record:

I am a concerned community member that is asking you to please reject outside calls for divisive resolutions.

The topic of war in the Middle East is divisive and emotional. Do not magnify this division further by passing resolutions on the topic. We need to protect our own community from violence, prejudice, arguments, disruptions, and vandalism. Any resolutions on the topic will only promote aggressive and disruptive behavior. It will lead to destruction of property, money, loss with the city, vandalism, and hurt individuals in our community.

Regardless of how one feels about an international political event, local resolutions on far reaching events only divide local communities. This is not what we want or need. We need to remain cohesive and supportive.

As our leaders, please try to bring peace and unity to San Bruno.

Sincerely,
Julie M
Sent from my iPhone
From: Julie Maltzman
To: City Clerk
Subject: For public record
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 6:50:01 PM
Please reject all resolutions that served to divide our community.

I am a concerned community member that is asking you to please reject outside calls for divisive resolutions.

As our leaders, please try to bring peace and unity to San Bruno.

Sincerely,
Julie M
Sent from my iPhone
From: jamal katout
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: In Favor of the Ceasefire Resolution
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 7:17:14 PM
Good evening
I am in favor of the ceasefire resolution
I am a 45yr resident of San Bruno and I am Palestinian American. There are 74 members of my immediate family living in San Bruno. This is not a divisive issue. War is divisive. Killing innocents is divisive.

Calling for a ceasefire is not antisemitic
Calling for humanitarian aid is not antisemitic
Calling for the release of hostages is not antisemitic.

This body voted unanimously not once but twice to raise the Ukrainian flag. Taking a stand on this is not outside of your purview. Please don’t try and use that excuse. Your community is asking you for this. The majority in opposition are not even members of the San Bruno community. Please do the right thing Please vote YES on this. Your community is asking you too Sent from my iPhone
From: Nancy Katout
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: YES on Ceasefire Resolution
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 7:19:23 PM
Hello Deputy Clerk Huerta,
My name is Nancy Katout and I am a San Bruno Resident of 37 years.

I was born and raised in San Bruno and lived here all my life. While in college, I worked at the San Bruno downtown Starbucks and got to know and then love our diverse community very much.

We have seen so much horror on our screens for almost 100 days now and the least we can do as San Bruno residents is call for a ceasefire. History will look back on this genocide and we will be judged on our action. We can not be silent or complicit.

Again, please vote YES for a ceasefire in the name of San Bruno. Please make us proud.
--
Best Regards,
Nancy Katout

From: mayy yaser
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: In favor of the Ceasefire Resolution
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 8:41:48 PM
Hello,
My name is Mayy and I’m a long time resident in San Bruno in district 3 and have an auto mechanic business on San Mateo Ave.

Thousands of innocent civilians… children, women and men are being killed and it has to stop! Entire families are being annihilated and many of my friends and families in San Bruno are being affected.

Please agendize the resolution.

Sincerely,
Mayy
Sent from my iPhone
From: Hani Yaser
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: Please support the Ceasefire Resolution
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 8:58:21 PM
Hello,
My name is Hani and I am a resident and business owner in San Bruno for 27 years.

Over 30,000 innocent civilians have been killed and 1.9 million people have been displaced and are living in inhumane conditions. We cannot sit idly and allow this to continue. Many of our friends and families in our community have lost loved ones. We need to pull together and speak up. Please put this resolution on the agenda! Sincerely,
Hani
Sent from my iPhone
From: Remonda h. Rantisi
To: Michael Salazar; Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha; Marty Medina Subject: In favor of ceasefire resolution
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 9:56:44 PM
Hello, my name is Mandy Rantisi. My small children go to school in San Bruno, Allen Elementary.

I have always been proud to be a San Bruno resident where our voices are heard and our concerns are met with resolutions.

A ceasefire resolution in communities promotes peace, reduces violence and hate, fosters dialogue, enhances community well-being, and creates an environment conducive to cooperation and collaboration among residents.

Please be on the right side of humanity.

Peace be with you all,
Mandy Rantisi
From: Sandy Hanhan
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: [URGENT] Ceasefire resolution in San Bruno request by Sandy Hanhan Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 10:15:54 PM
Hello, my name is Sandy Hanhan and I am a proud San Bruno resident from District

2. I urge you to take action and agendize the resolution calling for an immediate bilateral permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza, and a release of all hostages, Israeli and Palestinian.

San Bruno has a very special place in my heart. It is where i was raised, graduated from preschool through high school, and plan to retire here. I have lived in San Bruno my whole life and wouldnt think about living anywhere else. I San Bruno, “the city with a heart”, cannot stay silent in the face of a genocide. The number of civilians killed in Gaza has reached over 20,000 people, including 10,000 children. As an Palestinian San Bruno resident, I am directly impacted, it is important for us to be seen, heard and protected by our city.

I take pride in my heritage. Due to propaganda in the controlled, mainstream media, it has put a negative light on Arabs, and due to the rise in hate crimes against Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians, i have been forced to be silenced. Wearing a Palestinian necklace, a kufiyeh, or even listening to Arabic music in my car while filling up gas, i have been given the side eye from bystanders. With the increase in hate crimes rising around the country, it has made me scared to share any ounce of my heritage. One should not feel unsafe in their own town, especially one they love so dearly.

We are looking to our elected officials to stand with humanity and call for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza, free flow of humanitarian aid and the release of hostages on both sides.

This is not just a call for peace; it's a plea for humanity.

Thank you.

Sandy Hanhan
From: Husein Dawah
To: Lupita Huerta
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 10:27:50 PM
Hi council member of SB
I am supporting the ceasefire resolution
Thank
From: Eleni Katout
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: Please agendize the Ceasefire Resolution
Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 10:51:37 PM
Hello council members,
My name is Eleni Katout. I’m a life long San Bruno resident and I currently live, work, and go to school in San Bruno. I am in full support of this ceasefire resolution.

The resolution is a call for peace and it allows San Bruno to take a firm stance against antisemitism and Islamophobia.

The resolution will allow San Bruno to be a driving force for peace in the Bay Area. Your community is coming to you because our federal government isn’t listening to us. The system has failed us, and we need your help. Please use your voice to call for peace. Doing so will bring peace and love to the city with a heart.

Thank you,
Eleni Katout
From: sheila dudum
To: Rico Medina; Sandy Alvarez; Tom Hamilton; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: Please include this email in public record - Inclusion of Resolution - In favor of Ceasefire Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024 11:14:40 PM
Good evening councilmembers,
Please include this email in the public record -
I am Sheila Dudum, a resident of San Bruno's District 2 for the past 21 years. As an advocate for our community, particularly in support of our schools and teachers, I have consistently engaged with the San Bruno Park School District (SBPSD) and am here to address you today.

I come before you to request your support for the inclusion of a resolution on the agenda—a resolution that calls for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza. Some among us have characterized this matter as an "international affair," but I wish to draw attention to a precedent set by this very council on March 8th, 2022. On that date, this council unanimously approved a resolution allowing the display of the Ukraine flag at a city facility to express solidarity with Ukraine.

I stand here not merely seeking solidarity, nor do I intend to appeal to your political or religious beliefs. Rather, I implore you to consider this as an appeal to your shared humanity and your commitment to our community. We, as members of your city, ask for the agendizing of a ceasefire resolution.

In the past, when representing our community, divisive factors such as race, religion, and political views were set aside. The unity displayed during the PG&E pipeline explosion showcased the resilience of San Bruno residents at its finest. I appeal to you to channel that same sense of humanity in this matter.

Imagine if the victims of such tragic incidents lacked access to essentials like water, food, shelter, and medical aid. In our own community, individuals have lost loved ones due to the unavailability of critical medical assistance, such as dialysis. Our request to you is simple: agendize this ceasefire resolution. It is not just a political or international matter; it is a human imperative.

Thank you for your consideration and for upholding the values that make our community strong.

Sincerely,
Sheila Dudum
From: Marty Medina
To: sheila dudum
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: Re: Please include this email in public record - Inclusion of Resolution - In favor of Ceasefire Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 9:13:16 AM
Good morning,
Thank you for your email. The city clerks are included in this email so it will be included in the public record.

Sincerely,
Marty
Marty Medina
San Bruno City Council, District 4
(650) 580-3445
On Jan 6, 2024, at 11:14 PM, sheila dudum < > wrote:

Good evening councilmembers,
Please include this email in the public record -
I am Sheila Dudum, a resident of San Bruno's District 2 for the past 21 years. As an advocate for our community, particularly in support of our schools and teachers, I have consistently engaged with the San Bruno Park School District (SBPSD) and am here to address you today.

Imagine if the victims of such tragic incidents lacked access to essentials like water,

food, shelter, and medical aid. In our own community, individuals have lost loved ones due to the unavailability of critical medical assistance, such as dialysis. Our request to you is simple: agendize this ceasefire resolution. It is not just a political or international matter; it is a human imperative.

Thank you for your consideration and for upholding the values that make our community strong.

Sincerely,
Sheila Dudum
From: Mandy Rantisi
To: City Clerk
Subject: : In favor of ceasefire resolution
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 11:14:17 AM
Hello, my name is Mandy Rantisi. My small children go to school in San Bruno, Allen Elementary.

I have always been proud to be a San Bruno resident
where our voices are heard and our concerns are met with resolutions.

A ceasefire resolution in communities promotes peace,
reduces violence and hate, fosters dialogue, enhances
community well-being, and creates an environment
conducive to cooperation and collaboration among
residents.

Please be on the right side of humanity.

Peace be with you all,
Mandy Rantisi
From: Mandy Rantisi
To: Michael Salazar; Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha; Marty Medina Subject: Public Comment 1/9/2024
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 12:00:42 AM
Good evening council and Mayor Medina. My name is Mandy Rantisi and I was born and raised in San Bruno, District 2. My two kids attend Allen Elementary. I’m here to urge you to vote ‘YES’ to agendize a resolution calling for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza. San Bruno, “the city with a heart”, cannot stay silent in the face of a genocide. As a Palestinian American who has been a San Bruno resident, it is important for us to be seen, heard and protected by our city. My two young children love to support their Palestinian culture by wearing their kuffiyeh’s but I will not let them wear it during these times, with the rise in hate crimes. I don’t want my children being targeted as we will never forget the 6 year old boy Wadea Al-Fayoume who was stabbed to death in Illinois.

I urge the city of San Bruno to agendize this enduring ceasefire resolution so that the safety of children and human life is ensured from communities around the world. No matter their ethnic, national or religious background. If this resolution will not be recognized by the council, how can you reassure us the protection of our own children in this community? Thank you.

From: Mandy Rantisi
To: Lupita Huerta; City Clerk
Subject: Jacob Rantisi-minor- Public Comment 1/9/2024
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 10:15:52 AM
Please add my minor son’s comment to the public record in support for agenda item 9a:
>
> Hello council my name is Jacob Rantisi, I am 9 years old and I go to Allen Elementary school in San Bruno. What is going on in the war makes me feel sad because children and adults are scared and don’t know if this will be their last time on earth. The kids that are in Gaza cannot eat and sleep in peace, they cannot read books, or play outside.

They cannot sit at the dinner table and talk to their mom and dad in peace, because they are scared and don’t know if they are going to be bombed. I wish they can just be normal kids living a normal peaceful life, like we do in San Bruno. Please add a ceasefire resolution to the agenda. Thank you.

From: Mandy Rantisi
To: Lupita Huerta; City Clerk
Subject: Izzy Rantisi- minor- Public Comment 1/9/2024
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 10:14:56 AM
Please add my minor daughter’s comment to the public record in support for agenda item 9a:
> Hi my name is Izzy, I am 7 years old and go to Allen Elementary. All I want is a ceasefire resolution on the agenda. Thank you.

From: Maha YS
To: Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Rico Medina; Sandy Alvarez; Tom Hamilton; Vicky Hasha Subject: YES on the Ceasefire Resolution (District 3)
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 2:00:57 AM
Hello,
My name is Maha and I am a San Bruno property owner in
District 3 (Clark Ave). I am a Capuchino alum as well as my children.

There is a humanitarian crisis happening in Gaza. Almost 2 million Palestinians have been displaced, they’re being indiscriminately bombed (churches, hospitals, mosques, schools, …), they’re starving and freezing, no fuel, water is contaminated and disease is spreading with no medical resources as most hospitals have been destroyed. 30,000+ innocent civilians have been killed in the last 3 months, almost half of whom are children. We need to take a moral stand and do something to make this stop and save innocent lives.

Sincerely,
Maha
From: Hilda Shea
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: YES on Ceasefire
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 3:42:30 PM
Hello Deputy Clerk Huerta,
My name is Hilda Shea and I am a San Bruno Resident from District 3.

I urge you to take action and agendize the resolution calling for an immediate bilateral permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza, and a release of all hostages, Israeli and Palestinian. I was born and raised in San Bruno and lived here all my life.

I immigrated to the Bay Area in 1971 from Palestine. I have been a homeowner in San Bruno since 1983 and have about 50 family members in San Bruno.

We have seen so much horror on our screens for 100 days now and the least we can do as San Bruno residents is call for a ceasefire. History will look back on this genocide and we can’t be silent or complicit.

Again, please vote YES for a ceasefire in the name of San Bruno. Please make us proud.

Sincerely ,
Hilda Shea
From: Wesam Dawah
To: Rico Medina
Subject: My name is Wesam Dawah and I want a humanitarian ceasefire resolution in San Bruno Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 3:54:01 PM
Hello, my name is Wesam Dawah and I am a San Bruno resident for nearly 25 years.

These last three months have been very distressing for my family and many families in our city. There are several families in our city who have lost dozens of family members in Gaza due to the onslaught on civilians and the blockade of humanitarian aid to civilians. Last week one family lost two members. One was shot by a sniper as he was looking for water to bring back to his family and the other died due to shorage of medication because of the humanitarian aid blockade. This is just one family, There are dozens more. Our community is suffering deeply. Our federal and state representatives are ignoring us. I urge you to support our community members by standing with them in these tragic times by agendising this resolution.

This resolution will bring unity among our residents and business owners and strives to build stronger relationships with our city leaders.

With Peace,
Wesam Dawah
From: Sue Rantisi
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Comment for 1/9/2024
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 4:36:15 PM
Please add to public record:

Hello my name is Sawsan Rantisi - I have been living in San Bruno, district 1, for the past forty years and working in San Bruno for the past 30 years, I am 100%supporting the effort to agendize a ceasefire resolution in San Bruno. Because I have a better chance with my local community to hear my call for ceasefire. Unlike our state and federal representatives that are not listening to our calls. although the polls shows that more than 50% of the usa citizens wants a ceasefire, and the percentage even higher among young generation. So please make our voice loader than the lobbyists and pass the ceasefire resolution, This will be a start for a peaceful resolution for Palestinian and Israelis thank you
From: Sue Rantisi
To: Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Rico Medina; Sandy Alvarez; Tom Hamilton; Vicky Hasha Subject: In favor of ceasefire resolution
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 4:40:37 PM
Hello, my name is Sawsan Rantisi. I am a long time San Bruno resident the past 40 years.

I have always been proud to be a San Bruno resident where our voices are heard and we have a strong community.

Please be on the right side of humanity.
thank you,
Sawsan Rantisi
From: yacoub rantisi
To: Vicky Hasha; Marty Medina; Rico Medina; Lupita Huerta; Sandy Alvarez; Tom Hamilton; Michael Salazar Subject: In favor of ceasefire resolution
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 4:47:57 PM
Hello, my name is Yacoub Rantisi. I have been a resident of district 1 the past 40 years.

I have always been proud to be a San Bruno resident where our voices are heard and our concerns are met with resolutions.

Please be on the right side of humanity.

Peace be with you all,
Yacoub Rantisi
From: Sheila Dudum
To: City Clerk
Subject: Fwd: My name is Sheila Dudum and I want a ceasefire resolution in San Bruno Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 5:30:25 PM
Please include my email below in public record Thank you.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Marty Medina <[email protected]>
Date: January 7, 2024 at 9:05:30 AM PST
To:
sheila dudum < >
Subject: Re: My name is Sheila Dudum and I want a ceasefire resolution in San Bruno
Good morning,
Thank you for your email. I have spoken and met with
various San Bruno residents in the past weeks and have
heard numerous heartbreaking experiences from both

sides.

Based on the number of emails I have received in the
last few days, I will not have the time to speak to
everyone or actively engage via email.

Please be assured I have read each email and I
sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your
concerns regarding this sensitive subject.

Additionally
the “draft” resolution is not finalized.

If you want your email to be included in the public record

please send a copy to the city clerk,
[email protected]
Sincerely,

Marty
Marty Medina
San Bruno City Council, District 4
(650) 580-3445
On Jan 6, 2024, at 2:58 PM, sheila dudum
< > wrote:

Hello City Council Members,
My name is Sheila Dudum and I am a San Bruno Resident in District 2. My children attended John Muir, El Crystal and Parkside Intermediate Schools.

This is not a political or religious request. This is a humanitarian request. We need your help to push this humanitarian cause to our top officials. Over 30,000 lives have been taken in 88 days; Palestinian
and Israeli's included. They have no water, no food, no medical aid. Our community has lost family because of the lack of aid.

Sincerely,
Sheila Dudum
Best,
Sheila

From: Sandee Hanhan
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: 1/9 City Council - Public Comment
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 8:51:13 PM
Hello Miss. Lupita Huerta,
Hope this finds you well. I would like my public comment below to be part of the public record for agenda item 9a for the 1/9 City Council meeting.

Thank you,
Sandy
Public comment:

Good evening, fellow councilmembers,
My name is Sandy G and I am a San Bruno resident of 35 years living in District 2. and I am here to urge you to vote ‘YES’ to agendize a ceasefire resolution in Gaza.

The toll of the ongoing conflict on civilian lives is devastating, and the humanitarian crisis is reaching critical levels.

The time for action is now.

Civilians, including women and children, are bearing the brunt of the violence, facing unimaginable hardships and displacement.

San Bruno, “the city with a heart”, cannot stay silent in the face of a genocide.

As a Palestinian San Bruno resident, I am directly impacted, it is important for us to be seen, heard and protected by our city.

It's crucial to recognize that every individual, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or background, is inherently human and deserving of dignity, respect, and rights. It is not accurate or just to categorize any group, including Palestinians, as less than human.

When our city leaders join the call for peace, it makes the city safer for everyone.

So Council members, please do not stay silent and complacent during this ongoing genocide and effectively show that this community stands on the right side of history.

This is not just a call for peace; it's a plea for humanity.

Thank you.

From: Sawsan Dabit
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: My name is Sawsan Dabit and I want a ceasefire resolution in San Bruno Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 9:07:37 AM
Hello City Clerk Huerta,
My name is Sawsan Dabit and I'm a San Bruno resident of District 1. I went to John Muir, then graduated from Parkside and Cap. Following college and grad school, where I've committed myself to advancing scientific research, I've decided to return to my hometown.

All Palestinians, regardless of religion, are impacted by Israel's ongoing occupation and current genocide in Gaza. With that said - I am a Palestinian Christian, a minority in the Palestinian community. It's estimated that of the ~2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, 800- 1,000 are Palestinian Christians, many of which have been killed since October 7th. Among those killed in Gaza are loved ones of members of my church. I fear the Palestinian Christian community in Gaza will no longer exist if a ceasefire is not established and access to food, water, electricity and unrestricted aid is restored.

As a community, we are directly impacted and collectively experiencing immense loss and grief, which is compounded by the gravity of destruction. It is important that my city stands on the side of human rights and prioritizes peace for all peoples.

Thank you,
Sawsan Dabit
From: Kinda Dawah
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Public Record Comment item 9a
Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 4:06:44 PM
Good morning, please see my public comment below for city council meeting on 1/9 .

Please let my comment be made part of public record for agenda item 9a. Thank you! My name is Kinda, I have been a San Bruno resident of district 3 for the last 23 years.

With deep ties in this community, I am here to urge you to vote ‘YES’ to agendize this ceasefire resolution. Some of my council members have stated this resolution is “an international affair”. I am here to remind you that on March 8th 2022, this very council unanimously consented “To Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the Display of the Ukrainian Flag" not once but twice !With no concerns of this action being outside of "local government decisions". We are coming to you today, as members of your city, not just seeking solidarity, but rather reassurance of your humanity! With over 10 palestinan owned business within a one mile radius it would be hypocritical to suggest local government doesn't have a role to play when the facts show that acceptance of global violence contribute to local community violence. Advocating for a ceasefire will let this community know that there is only tolerance for peace unity and safety for all its constituents. San Bruno may be a small city but it has a big “heart”. Do not stay silent and complacent during this humanitarian crisis,follow in thr footsteps of our neighboring cities and agendize this resolution! Ceasefire now! Thank you,
Kinda Dawah
From: City Manager
To: marmorym
Cc: City Manager; City Clerk
Subject: RE: Jan 9, 2024 City Council Agenda item 9: ceasefire resolution Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 10:16:32 AM
Received. Thank you for reaching out. I have also included our City Clerk.

Jennifer Leaver
Executive Assistant to the City Manager
City of San Bruno
567 El Camino Real
San Bruno, CA
94066
(650) 616-7056 [main] / [email protected]

Don’t miss out on the latest news, subscribe to the City Manager’s eNewsletter.

Stay Connected with San Bruno by registering for SMC Alert (emergency notifications) and following us on social media!

PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message, together with any attachments, is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. It may contain information that is confidential and prohibited from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination or copying of this message or any attachment is strictly proh bited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the original sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail and delete this message along with any attachments from your computer. Thank you. ü Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

From: marmorym < >
Sent: Sunday, January 7, 2024 8:27 PM
To: City Manager <[email protected]>
Subject: Fw: Jan 9, 2024 City Council Agenda item 9: ceasefire resolution

Dear San Bruno City Manager,
Having resided in the Bay Area for the past 15 years and raising three children in its diverse and multicultural environment, I strongly recommend excluding the ceasefire resolution from San Bruno's agenda.

Why oppose a call for a bilateral humanitarian ceasefire, the release of hostages, and humanitarian aid? Unfortunately, there are significant issues:

It's unclear how many innocent lives are affected, and who provides the numbers – UNRWA, run by Hamas, or the IDF? Does the death toll include Hamas terrorists? Are 17-year-olds considered children when bearing weapons against civilians? What about infants and toddlers whose families had the opportunity to leave the combat zone but chose not to?

Ceasefires in the past haven't brought lasting peace. Hamas repeatedly violated agreements, focusing on re-arming and building tunnels rather than providing bomb shelters for Gaza's population. Have we truly liberated the Gazain population from Hamas? Despite daily humanitarian aid entering Gaza, questions remain about its distribution and recipients. Where does the aid go, and who benefits from it? These concerns deserve careful consideration before including the ceasefire resolution on San Bruno's agenda.

In conclusion, bringing up the complexities surrounding the proposed ceasefire resolution and the Middle East situation at the city council meeting may inadvertently provide a platform that spreads divisiveness and hatred among the community. This topic, deeply painful to many citizens, may not offer tangible benefits to the San Bruno community, nor anyone in the Middle East.

Sincerely,
Yotvat Marmor

From: Hani Yaser
To: City Clerk
Subject: Gaza ceasefire
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 10:23:04 PM
Hello,
My name is Hani and I am a resident and business owner in San Bruno for 27 years.

Over 30,000 innocent civilians have been killed and 1.9 million people have been displaced and are living in inhumane conditions. We cannot sit idly and allow this to continue. Many of our friends and families in our community have lost loved ones. We need to pull together and speak up. Please put this resolution on the agenda! Sincerely,
Hani
Sent from my iPhone
From: mayy yaser
To: City Clerk
Subject: Gaza ceasefire
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2024 10:20:47 PM
Hello,
My name is Mayy and I’m a long time resident in San Bruno in district 3 and have an auto mechanic business on San Mateo Ave.

Please agendize the resolution.

Sincerely,
Mayy
Sent from my iPhone
From: Yifah Yaron
To: City Clerk
Subject: City Council Agenda Item 9a: Discuss agendizing a resolution for Gaza ceasefire Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 4:33:20 AM
Dear City of San Bruno Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council Members, I reside in Foster City, work in South San Francisco, and often frequent San Bruno for shopping, dining, and meeting friends. I hope you will read my concerns regarding a proposal to bring a Gaza ceasefire resolution to your city council agenda.

I want to highly urge you NOT to bring forth this agenda item.

We have seen the vitriol that has ensued when calls for ceasefire in Gaza have arisen in other City Councils. In Oakland we witnessed pro-Hamas statements and blatant denial of the atrocities of Oct 7. In Foster City, Santa Clara, and Alameda meetings there were repeated statements denying Israel's right to exist since 1948
(the year that Israel was initially
established based on the UN Partition Resolution) and false declarations that Israel is an apartheid state (it is not). And again we heard denials of the atrocities that occured in Israel on Oct 7. Following the Alameda council meeting, a group of people walked outside and chanted loudly: "There is only one solution- Intifada, revolution!" while people were walking back to their cars.

Please consider how scary it is for Jews across the Bay Area to hear such inflammatory rhetoric and demonstrations in city after city in the Bay Area, especially in the context of a city council meeting where all should feel welcomed and accepted.

Please also consider that attendance in city council meetings and advocacy of your council's statements on the war is organized partially by AROC, an organization that has been advocating for BDS of Israel for years, and after Oct 7, stated that it "holds the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence . . .".

Although a call for a ceasefire is well intentioned, this is at best an empty gesture: How will this be enforced? How will you guarantee that Hamas does not execute another Oct 7 as they have promised to do "again and again"? Are you aware that the ceasefire in early December was broken by Hamas? Are you aware that subsequent ceasefire proposals in late December have been rejected by Hamas? These are real questions requiring serious deliberation and I don't believe that such deliberation has place in a city council where members are not elected based on their foreign policy stance or expertise. Despite the true desire for peace, discussion of ceasefire resolutions in the context of city councils will not end this terrible war, but it will sew division and fear and amplify the voices of hate in your community.

I urge you to focus on ways to bring the community together and focus on your City's issues, rather than letting your council meetings become platforms for rhetoric on complex foreign policy issues, that will leave a segment of your constituents as well as visitors to your city feeling intimidated and alienated..

Thank you for your consideration,
Yifah Yaron
From: Peter Sherman
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar Cc: Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha
Subject: City Council Agenda: Comment from San Bruno Resident and US Army Veteran Peter Sherman Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 11:48:57 AM
Dear San Bruno City Council,
I am a San Bruno Crestmoor neighborhood resident and US Army Veteran, and I would like to comment on the upcoming Agenda for the Council meeting on January 9th, 2024. I call for the City Council to reject a resolution introduced by Council Member Tom Hamilton, which calls for "...an immediate permanent bilateral humanitarian ceasefire in Israel and Palestine..." Firstly, on the issue of political relevance: While I applaud Councilmembers Tom Hamilton and Marty Medina's efforts to broker a bilateral peace deal in the Middle East, the power to fund and distribute

international aid or influence foreign policy does not reside with the San Bruno City Council. Their proposed resolution focuses on issues entirely out of the purview of the City Council's legislative power, especially considering its purported focus on its Strategic Initiatives as adopted in May of 2023. There appears to be nothing about transnational or international peace brokerages in these initiatives, so I urge Councilmembers Tom Hamilton and Marty Medina to focus instead on the issues they voted to prioritize.

My heart goes out to the thousands of innocent Palestinians and Israelis who have been killed as a result of this conflict, and I'm sure you feel the same way. Still, your service to your constituency is better spent focusing on issues you have an impact on. This is what you were elected to do.

Secondly, the resolution is factually false and ill-informed, as it calls for the release of "...dozens of Palestinian and Israeli Hostages."
Let us debunk the false moral equivalency between Israeli Hostages and Palestinian Prisoners, as there is a clear distinction: The majority of Palestinians held in Israeli jails

made an active choice to commit a crime, while the only “crime” committed by the Israeli and other foreign hostages was that they were Jewish or were in Israel. While some of the Palestinians released from Israeli prisons were incarcerated for or accused of minor crimes, some have been involved in violent crimes and bloody terrorist attacks. According to data
provided by the Israeli government, at least 55
percent of the 117 prisoners released during the first three days of the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas had been held for violent crimes, including 10 for attempted murder, 13 for inflicting severe bodily harm, 19 for placing a bomb or throwing an incendiary device, seven for shooting at people, and five for assault. Twenty-one percent of the released prisoners were listed as affiliated with a recognized terrorist organization, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. One of the female prisoners released is Misoun Mussa, who was sentenced to 15 years for stabbing an Israeli soldier in Jerusalem in 2015.

Thirdly, the resolution does not cite the data from which it pulls its assertion that "a majority of Americans from across the political spectrum support a bilateral ceasefire," I have only found one poll from Data For
Progress Pol from late November 2023, which, given the quickly developing situation on the ground in Gaza, is stale data on public sentiment that should not be used to inform public policy or resolutions. It is irresponsible of the council member to propose a resolution with, at best, non-cited sources and, at worst, stale or misleading data. It also references a broad swathe of "Palestinian Americans and other non-Arab Americans" who appealed for an end to the violence; are these the most vocal members of our constituency? Do they reside within the city of San Bruno? I want to point out that at least one person who spoke at the last meeting resides in New York; I encourage you to listen to your constituency and seek the broadest possible cross-section of opinions in forming public policy, not just the most vocal.

Fourthly, and Finally, as a former US Army Artillery Officer with a combat deployment to Iraq and two years in South Korea near the DMZ, I believe I can speak to the realities of war and what it looks like to live under a repressive, violent, and unsafe regime. It is brutal and ugly, and I, more than probably everyone sitting on the city council, have the desire to minimize the loss of all innocent human life. Your stated resolution to "...denounce the abhorrent recent rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia..." while also expressing the desire to achieve a "permanent ceasefire" inadvertently lends legitimacy to the terrorist organization Hamas. Hamas has a history of using sexualized violence, discrimination against the LGTBQ community, torture, indiscriminate killings, and kidnappings to extract resources from other nations to fund lavish lifestyles for party leadership in Qatar and extend the goals of foreign powers such as Iran. In the context of this resolution, a permanent ceasefire capitulates to an organization openly opposed to "...so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement'', as outlined in the Hamas Articles of 1988.

As someone who took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States, I am troubled by how some representatives of the Council have wielded our freedom to the benefit of a terrorist organization. Let us carefully consider the potential consequences of our actions and prioritize a resolution that aligns with the principles we hold dear.

I would love to grab a coffee with anyone on the city council for a collegial, educated discussion on this or other topics. I would greatly appreciate your making it this far in my email. I commend you for your civic duty and would appreciate a confirmation that it's been read!

Regards,
Peter Sherman

From: City Manager
To: Olga Ermoln
Cc: City Manager; City Clerk
Subject: RE: upcoming meeting agenda
Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 12:04:13 PM
Thank you, Olga. Received and including our City Clerk’s Office so they are in receipt of your comments as well.

Jennifer Leaver
Executive Assistant to the City Manager
City of San Bruno
567 El Camino Real
San Bruno, CA
94066
(650) 616-7056 [main] / [email protected]

Don’t miss out on the latest news, subscribe to the City Manager’s eNewsletter.

Stay Connected with San Bruno by registering for SMC Alert (emergency notifications) and following us on social media!

From: Olga Ermoln < >
Sent: Monday, January 8, 2024 11:48 AM
To: City Manager <[email protected]>; Rico Medina <[email protected]>; Tom Hamilton <[email protected]>; Sandy Alvarez <[email protected]>; Marty Medina <[email protected]>; Michael Salazar <[email protected]> Subject: upcoming meeting agenda

Dear council members,

I am a resident urging you to reject outside attempts to adopt divisive resolutions about the Israel-Hamas War.

As the whole country witnessed in Oakland and Richmond, the consideration of these

divisive resolutions results in hours of public comment plagued by antisemitic jeering and hateful conspiracy theories, as well as general confusion and lack of decorum.

Many of us are in mourning. Inaccurate and one-sided resolutions will not solve the conflict or bring us any closer to peace. We must bring our community together – not pull ourselves apart.

Thank you for your compassion and understanding.

Sincerely,

Olga Ermolin

From: Maya
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: 1/8 public comment for agenda item 9a
Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 12:24:54 PM
Dear council members,
History will look back at this moment in time and ask why wasn’t more done to end a genocide that was broadcast live to the world? This is your chance to take a stance that shows that you DID do something to try to put an end to bloodshed.

I am writing to urge you to vote ‘YES’ to agendize a resolution calling for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza. San Bruno, “the city with a heart”, cannot stay silent in the face of a genocide. The number of civilians killed in Gaza has reached over 20,000 people, including 10,000 children. As a Muslim San Bruno resident, I am directly impacted, it is important for us to be seen, heard and protected by our city. I have family members who have lost more than 35 members of their family in Gaza over the past 3 months. And my sister in law is constantly worrying about her relatives who are in Gaza.

I am looking to our elected officials to stand with humanity and call for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza, free flow of humanitarian aid and the release of hostages on both sides. Please vote yes to agendize the resolution for a ceasefire.

Thank you,
Maya Fallaha
From: Khalid Hararah
To: Khalid Hararah
Subject: Khalid Hararah Wants A Ceasefire Resolution in San Bruno.

Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 12:40:56 PM
Hello,
My name is Khalid Hararah and I am a resident living in San Bruno zip code 94066.

I have family living in Gaza, in California, and all over the world.

Since 2005, my family has been suffering under Israeli oppression and apartheid.

That’s 18 years.

And since October 7, I have now lost over 50 family members in Gaza.

In addition
to the 20,000 other Palestinian civilians that have been massacred, 10,000 of which are children.

Our hard-earned tax-dollars have been and are still funding the killing of my family and we should end federal spending on Israeli militarism and focus on the development of our San Bruno community.

I urge the city of San Bruno to agendize this enduring ceasefire resolution so that safety of children and human life is ensured from communities around the world. No matter their ethnic, national or religious background. If this resolution will not be recognized by the council how can you reassure us the protection of our own children in this community?
Ceasefire now.

From: Suad Hararah
To: Suad Hararah
Subject: Suad Hararah Wants A Ceasefire Resolution in San Bruno.

Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 12:40:58 PM
Hello,
My name is Suad Hararah and I am a resident living in San Bruno zip code 94066.

I have family living in Gaza, in California, and all over the world.

Since 2005, my family has been suffering under Israeli oppression and apartheid.

That’s 18 years.

And since October 7, I have now lost over 50 family members in Gaza.

In addition
to the 20,000 other Palestinian civilians that have been massacred, 10,000 of which are children.

Our hard-earned tax-dollars have been and are still funding the killing of my family and we should end federal spending on Israeli militarism and focus on the development of our San Bruno community.

From: Zaynab Hararah
To: Zaynab Hararah
Subject: Zaynab Hararah Wants A Ceasefire Resolution in San Bruno.

Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 12:41:02 PM
Hello,
My name is Zaynab Hararah and I am a tech worker living in San Bruno zip code 94066.

As a Bay-Area Native, American, Palestinian, and Muslim, I am a product of the Palestinian Diaspora. My family was originally from Haifa, and displaced to Gaza in 1948. My dad was born in 1948, when Israel came into existence, and when the Nakba took place where 750,000 Palestinians were displaced.

My parents came to the US in the mid-70s, for opportunities for education. My siblings and I are the products of the American dream. We’ve attended the top and most prestigious schools and universities in the country. My sister, a pioneer in electronic medical records for healthcare systems and hospitals, my brother a head and neck cancer surgeon, and I chose the tech route working at multiple Fortune 100 tech companies.

I have family living in Gaza, in California, and all over the world.

Since 2005, my family has been suffering under Israeli oppression and apartheid.

That’s 18 years.

And since October 7, I have now lost over 50 family members in Gaza.

In addition
to the 20,000 other Palestinian civilians that have been massacred, 10,000 of which are children.

Our hard-earned tax-dollars have been and are still funding the killing of my family and we should end federal spending on Israeli militarism and focus on the development of our San Bruno community.

Thank you,
Zaynab Hararah
From: Roveiza Irfan
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha Subject: San Bruno Demands a Ceasefire NOW! Enough is Enough! Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 12:47:50 PM
My name is Roveiza Irfan and I'm a home-owner in San Bruno CA and work in healthcare consulting in South San Francisco. My son is a 2nd grader at Portola Elementary School and my husband works at YouTube in San Bruno.

As humans first and foremost, we are heartbroken by the indescribable loss of life occurring in Gaza on top of the decades of brutal occupation. This is a pivotal moment in history and San Bruno needs to be on the right side - for our community and for our children - I urge you to
take action and agendize the resolution calling for an IMMEDIATE bilateral permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza, and a release of all hostages - Israeli and Palestinian. This is not controversial and should be easy for anyone with a heart to call for.

I am heartbroken by the number of friends and colleagues in the Peninsula that have lost their ENTIRE families in the last few months as a result of Israeli airstrikes. There is no accountability and no regard for preserving the lives of innocent civilians - enough is enough and I urge you to take action.

Best,
Roveiza Irfan
San Bruno CA 94066

From: scott abramson
To: City Clerk
Subject: cease fire resolution
Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 1:07:43 PM
Dear City Council record

As a mid- Peninsula resident for over 35 years, I urge you not to put a “cease fire” proclamation on the Council agenda. I am very familiar with those that want this agenda passed. If you question them, they are not asking for a temporary cease fire that would allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and Jewish hostage release. They are asking for a PERMANENT “cease fire,” a permanent “cease fire” that would allow HAMAS to survive, to thrive, to rebuild, to claim victory, and to commit repeat October 7 massacres. Not just upon Israel, but upon America. This is what their leaders have declared. Please do not put this on the agenda.

Scott Abramson

From: City Manager
To: Nathan Brandys
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: RE: Concerned San Bruno Resident about Upcoming City of San Bruno Proposed Resolution Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 3:52:19 PM
Thank you for your comments. I wanted to acknowledge receipt.

Take care,

Jennifer Leaver
Executive Assistant to the City Manager
City of San Bruno
567 El Camino Real
San Bruno, CA
94066
(650) 616-7056 [main] / [email protected]

Don’t miss out on the latest news, subscribe to the City Manager’s eNewsletter.

Stay Connected with San Bruno by registering for SMC Alert (emergency notifications) and following us on social media!

From: Nathan Brandys >
Sent: Thursday, January 4, 2024 9:03 PM
To: Rico Medina <[email protected]>; Tom Hamilton <[email protected]>; Sandy Alvarez <[email protected]>; Marty Medina <[email protected]>; Michael Salazar <[email protected]>
Subject: Concerned San Bruno Resident about Upcoming City of San Bruno Proposed Resolution

San Bruno City Council,

My name is Nathan Brandys and I am writing as a concerned resident of San Bruno, who is also Jewish. In a recent article in the San Mateo Daily Journal, there is a call for a cease-fire resolution to be brought up for a vote in context to the war between Israel and the US named terrorist group,
Hamas (https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/calls-for-a-cease-fire-resolution-in-san- bruno/article_fb4b58ea-9b03-11ee-bf24-ef2e5953eda6.html). A call for ceasefire with the terrorist group Hamas without any condemnation or stance against it is a grave concern for the Jewish community and makes us reconsider if San Bruno is a safe place for Jewish families.

This has brought me to bring up the following observations and concerns, as well as provide suggestions for the city council to consider. The hyperlinked words/sentences link to important articles for reference.

Concerns/Observations:

The San Mateo Daily Journal article and proposed resolution are one sided and do not take into consideration important facts. No where in the article or in the aforementioned potential resolution is there a call for Hamas, the US named terrorist organization, to return the over 120 hostages that includes at least 6 identified American citizens. Hamas, a US named terrorist organization, has called for the "Death to America" and the western values we all live by. No where in the article or proposed resolution is there a call for Hamas to surrender to return the hostages and surrender which by definition reaches an immediate ceasefire.

Hamas, a US named terrorist organization, has also been proven guilty and complicit in the rape, murder and mutilation of innocent civilians, which includes American citizens. I am providing you an article written by the NY Times (which has 100's of times not supported Israel throughout any conflict) which dives deep into the sexual violence and burtallity used by Hamas during thier terrorist attack in Israel on 10/7/2023. There is also video proof of the atrocities conducted by Hamas during October 7th 2023 from the body cams of Hamas terrorists, that was presented to the US congress.

This video can be played for the City Council. No where in the San Mateo Daily Journal article and proposed resolution is there a call of condemnation of using sexual violence against women. Not covered in the article but can be seen in the video are the beheadings, brunings and brutal murders of children, seniors and innocent civilians only because they were Jewish. Since the article is not an official
City of San Bruno document, it is important the Mayor's office and city council clarify where they stand in regards to these events that started the war between Hamas and Israel. If these actions did not take place there would be no war and no need to call for a ceasefire.

The loss of innocent civilian life is indeed tragic in Gaza as it is in any war. It is clear that this war is unconventional as it is not between 2 nations but rather between the legitimate country and US ally Israel, and Hamas,
It is well documented and proven that Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields and attacks Israel via rocket fire and underground tunnels built on and underneath schools and hospitals. No where in the article or proposed resolution does it condemn Hamas for being the primary cause of civilian deaths in Gaza. Indeed if Hamas cared about Palestinian citizens it would not hide amongst them while attacking Israeli military positions which would lead to response and inevitable civilian deaths.

San Bruno is home to many US military veterans. In the aftermath of 9/11 many of our veterans lost lives and family members protecting our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11
Hamas, celebrated the death of Americans by passing out candies in the street. While Israel, the only democracy in the middle east, is one of the only countries in the world with a monument to commemorate the victims and heroes of 9/11. No where in the article or proposed resolution does it condemn Hamas for anti American actions or put any blame on them for what is going on in Gaza today. Calling for a ceasefire with Hamas, is a show of weakness and disregard to all our American brothers and sisters who have fought to keep America and its allies safe.

Suggestions:

In the San Mateo Daily Journal article it is stated the council member Marty Medina is eager to take action. If indeed we will be spending the time and taxpayer money to focus on a resolution about the war in Gaza instead of focusing on our many everyday problems facing the citizens of San Bruno, I would like to make the following suggestion to incorporate into the resolution. :

Condemnation of Hamas for starting the War and being the leading cause of civilian deaths in Gaza.

Condemnation of Hamas for the abduction, rape, muiltation and murder of hostages incuding American citizens
Call on Hamas to immediatley return all hostages and surrender to Israel ending the war and putting into effect an immediate ceasefire
A clear understanding and explanation
where the San Bruno city council stands in regards to
terrorist actions by Hamas in Israel on 10/7/2023 that started the war.

In BCC on this email are San Bruno residents, San Bruno city agencies, US non profits, and other concerned
parties awaiting your response to the suggestions provided and guidance for the appropriate course of action.

Regards,

Nathan

Nathan Brandys

--
Nathan Brandys

From:

To: City Clerk
Subject: Fwd: Roya Pourmand / concerned constituent - please support ceasefire resolution Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 9:38:36 PM
Please consider my message for the Public record
Begin forwarded message:

From:

Date: January 6, 2024 at 10:25:36 PM PST
To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected]
Subject:

Roya Pourmand / concerned constituent - please support ceasefire resolution
Hello, my name is Roya Pourmand and I was born and raised in San Bruno.

The situation in Gaza is becoming worse by day, and I urge San Bruno to be on the right side of history. All humans deserve dignity and respect, and I hope that San Bruno can stand with all civilians caught up in this horrible crisis.

Respectfully,
Roya

From: Lee Ginsburg
To: City Clerk
Subject: Public Record- Cease Fire
Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 7:02:14 PM
I understand outside groups are working to spread more hate by advocating for Bay Area cities to adopt divisive resolutions about the Israel-Hamas war.

Instead of amplifying hate and division, please, I urge you to lead with empathy and ensure all city residents feel supported and welcomed. The ongoing World Events has impacted so many members of our community, and a non-binding, performative resolution will not make any positive change. As a matter of fact, it will affect us negatively. If you go forward with a vote, you will be opening a can of worms.

Every
group will now expect you to vote on a resolution to support their mission. When you decide one of these is not worthy of your time, you will be hit with discrimination lawsuits.

The City Council was elected to deal with local City issues not world matters. Please advise these people to contact our representatives in Congress and the Senate.

If this passes, we will see an increase in the already rising Antisemitic comments and actions. You will be adding to the divide we see creating problems in our community and country.

City Council Members were elected by their constituents based on your knowledge, experience, and thoughts on how to improve the City to be benefit the city residents.

Commenting on World Events is not in the job description. It is not what people voted you in do to.

During times of crisis, elected leaders must work to bring people together – not tear us apart.

The City Council should not be wasting any time on world events. It will have no effects on the complex issues in the world. You have plenty of work to do to make our city better, vibrant, safer, affordable among many other items. You should not take the time to discuss putting it on the agenda and certainly not spend time on a vote.

Please I urge you not to put the ceasefire resolution on your agenda and if you do I urge you to VOTE NO.

Lee Ginsburg

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From: Dana Facciano
To: City Clerk; Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; [email protected]; [email protected]; Lupita Huerta; Lupita Huerta
Subject: Call to agendize
Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 6:06:37 PM
Please include this email in public records.

Thank you
1-8-2024
Good evening fellow council members, my name is Dana Facciano and I have been a San Bruno resident of District 2 for the last 24 years. I am a parent and frequent volunteer for various local entities. I am here to urge you to vote “YES” to agendize a resolution calling for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza. Some of my council members have stated that this is “an international affair”. I am here to remind you that on March 8, 2022, this very council unanimously consented “To Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the Display of the Ukraine Flag at a City Facility to Express Solidarity with Ukraine”. We are coming to you today as members of your city, not just seeking solidarity, but rather reassurance of your humanity and value for the community by agendizing this ceasefire resolution.

Thank you
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
From: Paul Furman
To: Rico Medina; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Michael Salazar Cc: Lupita Huerta; Vicky Hasha
Subject: City Council Agenda: 2024-02-09
Date: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 8:23:49 AM
Dear Members of the San Bruno City Council,
I trust this message finds you well. My name is Paul Furman, a resident of the San Bruno Crestmoor 3 neighborhood with proud Ukrainian Jewish roots, writing to express my concerns regarding the proposed resolution scheduled for discussion during today's Council meeting.

Specifically, I respectfully urge the City Council to reject the resolution introduced by Council Member Tom Hamilton, which advocates for an immediate permanent bilateral humanitarian ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.

Having endured the challenges emanating from my Ukrainian heritage, I am intimately familiar with the hardships faced by individuals caught in the crossfire of conflict. I still maintain connections with friends and classmates who have experienced relentless bombardment over the past two years, witnessing the devastation of homes, saying painful goodbyes, and even burying cherished friends. My personal involvement in volunteering at a Ukrainian refugee camp has exposed me to the deeply traumatizing stories of those who have undergone unimaginable experiences.

Additionally, I must draw your attention to the egregious terrorist attack orchestrated by the internationally recognized terrorist group Hamas on October 7, 2023. This horrifying incident resulted in the senseless murder of 1,200 Jews, Israeli Citizens, and foreigners, possibly marking the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and the deadliest terrorist attack against Israel since the state’s establishment in 1948. In response to this brutal act and its scale, Israel rightfully exercised its inherent right to self-defense. Regrettably, the ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of numerous civilians and caused widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure, and roads.

It is imperative to recognize that a cessation of Israel's defensive actions could inadvertently empower the very terrorist organization that has openly advocated for the annihilation of Jews and the destruction of Israel. Our duty lies in supporting the right of nations to defend themselves against such threats.

Furthermore, we have to recognize the plight of hostages still held in Gaza, as well as the appalling atrocities reported by those who have been fortunate enough to be released. These individuals have shared harrowing accounts of their captivity, describing the heinous acts committed by extremist groups. These firsthand testimonies highlight the urgent need for continued international efforts to address the complex and distressing situation in the region.

While acknowledging the good intentions behind Council Member Tom Hamilton's resolution, I implore the City Council to exercise caution before venturing into the complex realm of foreign affairs. Our community would be better served if the Council focused on addressing pressing local issues such as roads, internet access, and infrastructure. Matters of international diplomacy are best left to those with the requisite training and expertise in this intricate field.

I sincerely appreciate your time and attention to this matter. As a concerned resident, I trust that the San Bruno City Council will prioritize the welfare of our community and refrain from involvement in matters that may inadvertently compromise the security of nations facing genuine threats and add additional tension to the local community.

Thank you for your dedication to our community's well-being.

Thanks,
Paul
From: Gena H
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Yes, ceasefire in Gaza
Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 9:48:50 PM
Good Day fellow council members,
My name is Gena and I have been a San Bruno resident my entire life, DISTRICT 2. We are currently witnessing a devastating full forced humanitarian crisis,with over 20 thousand civilian casualties only increasing by the hour. I urge you to take action! Follow in the steps of your neighboring cities Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond to prioritize this resolution. Change begins at the local level , it is not just “an upper level decision”, San Bruno may be a small city but it has a big “heart”. Do not stay silent and complacent during this ongoing genocide and vote ‘YES’ to agendize a resolution calling for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza.

Thank you.

Best,
Gena
Sent from my iPhone
From:

To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Yes, ceasefire in Gaza
Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 9:44:49 PM
Good evening, fellow council members,
My name is Gena and I have been a San Bruno resident my entire life, DISTRICT 2. We are currently

witnessing a
devastating full forced humanitarian crisis,with over 20 thousand civilian casualties only increasing by the hour. I urge you to take action! Follow in the steps of your neighboring cities Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond to prioritize this resolution. Change begins at the local level , it is not

just “an upper level decision”, San Bruno may be a small city but it has a big “heart”. Do not stay silent and complacent during this ongoing genocide and

vote ‘YES’

to
agendize a resolution calling for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza.

Thank you.

Best,
Gena

Thank you
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
From: Melissa Chan
To: City Clerk
Subject: Public Comment for Item 9a, 1/09/2024
Date: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 1:33:32 PM
Hello,
I am submitting public comment on Item 9a on the 1/09/2024 agenda in favor of Councilmember Hamilton's introduction of a resolution calling for an immediate permanent bilateral humanitarian ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, for the release of remaining hostages, and in support of allowing unrestricted humanitarian aid.

It has been nearly 100 days of senseless attacks and bombing on the people of Palestine and with over 30,000 deaths with more missing in the rubble, this siege must end. There can be no peace without a ceasefire. If the goal is to save hostages and more human lives, then a ceasefire is the first step. Even during the brief pause over Thanksgiving, Israel's military forces have continued to attack, arrest, and detain people in Gaza and the West Bank. People around the world and especially your constituents are calling on our leaders to stand up for what's right and to stand up for the people of Palestine. While we have acknowledged the atrocities in October, genocide is NEVER the solution. Hamas isn't the one bombing schools, hospitals, homes, etc. The Israeli government is with weapons provided by our own government and funded by our own taxpayer money. There can be no peace or safe return of hostages until a ceasefire happens which means EVERYONE lays down arms.

No one should have to sit and watch the inhumane and horrible attacks we are seeing daily for nearly 100 days now. Our children and youth are seeing this all unfold and what kind of example are we setting when we don't stand up for people and children around the world? In the Bay Area, we pride ourselves in being welcoming and compassionate to our fellow communities here and around the world. I urge you all to make the right choice in supporting this resolution. The people of Palestine cannot wait and your constituents and neighbors cannot wait. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Melissa Chan
San Mateo County and Millbrae resident
1 Lupita Huerta
From: Marina Buchman < >
Sent: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 3:18 PM
To: City Clerk
Subject: Fw: Resolution in support of Hamas
Please include my email in the public record.

Thank you,
Marina Buchman

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Marina Buchman < >
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 8, 2024 at 06:12:39 PM PST
Subject: Resolution in support of Hamas

Hello,

As a daughter and daughter-in-law of Holocaust survivors and having experienced firsthand antisemitism growing up in the Soviet Union, I am very concern about a matter that has significant implications for the functioning of our city council and the harmony of our community. I have voted in every election since becoming US citizens 42 years ago.

Recently, the San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has been urging residents across the Bay Area, including Santa Clara, to attend city council meetings.

Their aim is to advocate for the inclusion of a ceasefire resolution in solidarity with the Palestinian people without denouncing the atrocities of Hamas - raping young girls and women, beheading and burning alive men, women and children, taking hostages and abusing and killing them in captivity - and its role as a terrorist organization. The White House has disavowed CAIR after its national executive director, Nihad Awad, expressed support for the murderous terrorist actions by Hamas in Israel.

In addition, although less terrifying and offensive than supporting terrorists, meeting after meeting being disrupted is preventing the council from doing its job. Our city council meetings are intended to focus on issues directly impacting our community – infrastructure, public safety, local economy, and community welfare. When meetings are consistently redirected towards international conflicts, these pressing local needs can’t be addressed.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued dedication to our community. I hope you will do the right thing and focus on our local community, and not become a supporter of terrorist organizations by calling for a cease fire where the terrorists won’t stop their murderous rampage until every Jew is killed.

Best,
Marina Buchman

1 Lupita Huerta
From: Danielle Brandys < >
Sent: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 3:09 PM
To: Marty Medina
Cc: Nathan Brandys; Rico Medina; City Clerk; Tom Hamilton; Sandy Alvarez; Michael Salazar Subject: Re: Sample Nuance Statements
Dear council members,
I know your inboxes are most likely flooded. I am sending one more note with hopes that you do indeed keep us safe tonight, both Verbally
and physically. After watching recent ceasefire meetings, it’s very disturbing to see people getting booed and jeered at. These aspects will absolutely be in your control tonight, and it’s up to you how those are handled.

Please keep us safe, and thank you for your civic duty.

Sincerely,
Danielle Brandys

On Jan 5, 2024, at 7:06 PM, Danielle Brandys < > wrote:

Dear Marty,
Thank you again for your openness and time today. I am currently organizing more Jewish voices to attend the meeting on Tuesday, however, many have expressed a serious concern for their safety (both physical and verbal) based on similar ceasefire meetings that have occurred recently. Can you guarantee this safety for us at the meeting?
Sincerely,
Danielle Brandys

Sent from my iPhone

1 Lupita Huerta
From: Zach Klieman >
Sent: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 4:33 PM
To: Lupita Huerta
Subject: Ceasefire Resolution
Hello,
I am writing to you as a local Jew to urge you to agendize and pass a resolution calling for a permanent and immediate ceasefire of the Israeli genocide on Gaza. San Bruno’s voice here matters. Despite consistent calls for action by his constituents, our congressperson Kevin Mullin has refused to call for a ceasefire. I urge you to support and represent your constituents by elevating their voices by making a formal, public stance on this issue, an issue that to say is gravely important would be an understatement. Peace is an ongoing project, and this moment is a pivot point where we have a duty to take a stance.

This is not an issue that only plays out thousands of miles away. Local organization Project Assist is working to help Gazan refugees settle on the peninsula. Local Palestinian families have lost loved ones and don’t know if others are still alive. Bay Area companies such as Lockheed Martin are producing weapons used on civilians, hospitals, residential buildings, and journalists. As one of the country’s top economic centers, Bay Area residents’ tax dollars disproportionately fund the Israeli military and its war crimes. The Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR, has reported a grave uptick in islamophobic and anti-Arab hate crimes, and many Jews have reported experiencing antisemitism.

As a Jew, It is crucial for me to communicate that anti-Palestinian hatred and antisemitism go hand in hand. When one goes up, so does the other. Fighting antisemitism should not and literally cannot come at the expense of Palestinians and their families. Supporting the liberation of Palestine and Palestinians is not antisemitic, but actually the most effective and truly only way to combat a rise in antisemitism because as long as Palestine is oppressed, this conflict will persist, and as long as this conflict persists, it will perpetually manifest itself in disastrous consequences for all. Turning a blind eye to genocide and the 75-year long occupation that enables it in the name of not being antisemitic does nothing but perpetuate this horrible cycle of violence for both Palestinians and Jews. While you may hear conflicting perspectives on the issue, I urge you to consider that in terms of the consequences felt, there is nothing divisive about this issue when we experience peace or hatred together. Liberation achieved by oppressing another group is not liberation, but the continuation of oppression.

Peace and liberation beget peace and liberation. Violence and hatred beget violence and hatred. Peace locally and abroad is not maintained by inaction in the face of discriminatory violence, but by actively building justice based on love of all people and all peoples’ right to freedom from violence and oppression. As an important local leader, I urge you to fulfill this duty.

2 Israel’s actions along with its officials statements of intent behind them amount to genocide.

As a Jew and a descendent of Jews who fled the Nazis in 1930s Germany, I have the duty to say never again for anyone, regardless of who the perpetrators are. As Americans who are forced into complicity with our tax dollars, we have a duty to stand up and make our voices heard in the name of supporting humanity, not senseless violence and destruction. Not in our name. We can and must take a stance. This must end now. I urge you to call for a ceasefire, not a humanitarian pause, but a ceasefire. This all must end. It is all hands on deck, and we need your support, your voice, and your conscience. Your voice, the council’s voice matters.

Please agendize and pass a ceasefire resolution in the city of San Bruno.

Thank you very much for your work and for your time.

Zach Klieman

1 Lupita Huerta
From: Davida Rabbino < >
Sent: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 4:35 PM
To: City Clerk
Subject: Agenda item from Councilman Hamilton regarding the war in Israel/Hamas.

To the City Council members,
Our City Councils mission, as outlined and fulfilled in its own charter is “to provide responsible, efficient, and responsive municipal services to the diverse residents of San Bruno.” This includes matters like public safety, infrastructure and community development- issues that directly impact our daily lives.

While global affairs matter, they are best addressed by national and international bodies equipped to handle their complexities. Injecting such a charged international issue into local politics risks unintended consequences.

Instead of venturing into foreign policy, let us refocus our energies on issues that truly shape San Bruno’s City’s future.

Thank you,
Davida Rabbino
Resident of San Mateo county

1 Lupita Huerta
From: Motie Omari < >
Sent: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 4:47 PM
To: Rico Medina
Cc: Marty Medina; Michael Salazar; Lupita Huerta; Sandy Alvarez; Tom Hamilton; Vicky Hasha
Subject: Hi Mayor Medina - YES - #ceasefirenow 🇵🇸
Good afternoon Mayor Medina & respectable board members of San Bruno

I’m kindly and respectfully requesting the ceasefire resolution be agendized for the beautiful city of San Bruno in supporting the beautiful people of the Holy Land of Palestine 🇵🇸.

Today our beautiful city of San Francisco made history and said YES for #ceasefirenow

God bless you if can do the same for the land of the Prophets and the Messiah Jesus son of Mary that all Muslims love and recognize as the Messiah.

In the final testament the Holy Qur’an; there are 114 chapters. Chapter 19 is titled: Mariam (Mary mother of Jesus) the purest chose woman over all women of creation.

God bless you all.

Peace سﻼم

Motie Omari مطيع العمري

Video: San Francisco votes ꨐꨑꨒꨓꨔꨕ *YES* #ceasefirenow🇵🇸 Tuesday January 9, 2024 Voting YES for a ceasefire: - Preston - Ronen - Safai - Walton - Peskin - Engardio - Chan - Melgar Voting NO against a ceasefire: - Dorsey - Stefani - Mandelman

https://youtu.be/9qy7cxtM7Rg?si=-IiMo0QnUODHeWAG

1 Lupita Huerta
From: Matt Jones
Sent: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 6:10 PM
To: Rico Medina; Sandy Alvarez; Marty Medina; Tom Hamilton; Michael Salazar Cc: Lupita Huerta; City Manager
Subject: Public comment on Gaza resolution agenda item #9 Hello San Bruno Councilmembers,
I am writing to express my support for Councilmember Hamilton’s addition of a resolution to the agenda that addresses the horrific situation in Gaza. I encourage members to bring this forth for a full vote before the Council and to support a resolution that condemns the violence that is happening, rightly criticizes the “blank check” that U.S. taxpayers are giving a far-right Israeli government to commit acts of atrocity and urge an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation.

This is a topic that is absolutely relevant to local issues in San Bruno. San Bruno hosted an internment camp, incarcerating Japanese-Americans during WWII. This open air prison, while extremely harsh, cruel, and inhumane, brings to mind the open-air prisons that the Palestinians are living in today; I'd argue their situation is even more dire. With the death toll approaching 30,000 and 1.9 million displaced, many have called it a genocide.

The local effort to pass this resolution, which would follow suit with a growing number of Bay Area communities, shows higher-ups, especially those in Congress, that the public values all human lives, regardless of color of skin or religion, and condemns acts of cruelty. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past, and the City’s unique position next to Golden Gate Cemetery and Tanforan is a stark reminder that many have died for values that our country claims to represent—freedom, justice—yet when we pick and choose who is allowed freedom and justice, and fail to compare present scenarios to the past, we lose our identity. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Regards,
Matt Jones
Former contract planner and resident for 20+ years

San Bruno City CouncilJanuary 9, 2024

San Bruno City Council
January 9, 2024