From: C Sofranko
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Comment for tomorrow"s meeting: Ceasefire NOW Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 10:44:39 AM
To Whom It May Concern:
I'm a lifelong Sonoma County resident and a Santa Rosa resident. I'm writing today to urge you to support an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The UN is ineffective and one single vote screwed the entire effort. 1,000 people are being killed a day with MY tax dollars, with weapons made right here in the USA. We need our local representatives to show up for us and amplify our voices, to stand for unity in our community. We are calling for a ceasefire and peace and as our representatives, we demand that you represent us! Cecilia Sofranko
From: si si
To: [email protected]
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Cease Fire in Gaza Now
Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 10:51:46 AM
Hello
I am a born and raised Sonoma County resident. I am writing to demand a Cease Fire in Gaza.
I am witnessing the ineffectiveness of the UN, our house and senate reps ignoring us and that 1,000 people are being killed a day with our tax dollars. We need our local representatives to show up for us and make our voices amplified by showing unity in our community for this call to peace.
We are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and as our representatives, we demand you represent us.
Thank you, Sierra Kind
From: Tess Adele Toldhwoss
To: [email protected]
Cc: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Ceasefire Resolution Now
Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 11:12:07 AM
To whom it may concern,
My heart breaks each and every day as I see the continued carnage and bloodshed in Gaza, Palestine. Each time I see US Officials blocking the path to ceasefire, my heart breaks even more. I have watched my elected officials at the Federal level continue to ignore our calls and pleas for a ceasefire now. I have watched the US Representatives to the UN block this path 3 times now.
My heart aches because my own money, my tax dollars, contribute to the murder of roughly 1,000 Palestinians each day now. Since my representatives, who’s duty it is to step in in moments like this to call for peace and justice are silent, I am calling on my local representatives to fill the gaps that democratically elected officials on the Federal level are refusing to fill. Please join Sonoma County Residents in calling for a ceasefire now.
Best,
Tess A T Caldwell
From: Rachel Marcus
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Santa Rosa: Pass a Ceasefire Resolution. Call for an end to genocide Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 11:52:18 AM
Dear Santa Rosa City Council,
My name is Rachel Marcus, I live in Santa Rosa, and I am writing to urge the Santa Rosa City Council to review and adopt a Resolution to affirm Santa Rosa's Support for a Ceasefire and Just
Resolution for all in Palestine/ Israel.
As of December 10th, more than 18,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli government, over 7000 of those are children. Innocent people are being killed by Israel in retaliation for an attack on Israel that killed 1400 and took 200 hostage. Every human life is valuable and we deplore the enormous loss of life on both sides.
We are calling on the city of Santa Rosa to uphold its values of peace, dignity and human life.
Now is not the time to avoid a difficult subject, but rather because so many people are dying, and because the United States government is complicit, now is a time for our city to publicly affirm its values of human life and dignity.
Palestinians in Gaza have been set back years if not decades from the overwhelming destruction of healthcare facilities, schools, homes, and so much of their infrastructure. The trauma Palestinians have endured from losing scores of loved ones and from fearing for their own lives under constant bombardment, starvation, and disease will be there for a lifetime.
The amount of Palestinians displaced from their homes since Oct. 7th is more than in the
Nakba of 1948. Advocating for an immediate ceasefire is the first step towards working towards peace and justice.
We urge the city of
Santa Rosa to immediately issue a resolution for a permanent ceasefire and just resolution in Palestine / Israel, to stand against ethic cleansing and genocide, and to stand on the right side of history.
Thank you.
From: Jordan Byrd
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Ceasefire resolution
Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 12:16:01 PM
Attachments: SR resolution-2.docx
Dear Santa Rosa City Council members,
I am writing to urge that our county adopt a ceasefire resolution in response to the crisis happening in Gaza.
You may be wondering why this would be considered the business of the Santa Rosa City Council.
My community has been tirelessly trying to get our
House, Senate, and Presidential representatives to hear our voices but as we have seen, they continue to make us all complicit in war crimes using our tax dollars.
We are doing all that we can, peacefully, but these folks are not taking us seriously enough and they are not acting with the urgency that this moment calls for.
It is important for us to show our stance against genocide in any way that we can, and passing this resolution, especially in a relatively more conservative or moderate Bay Area county will send a message to the Democratic Party, which looks at the Bay Area to see the trending among voters from which informs their policies. This would have an impact on how our President chooses to proceed regarding this matter.
Furthermore, many cities have already passed similar ceasefire resolutions, like:
Oakland, which was unanimous,
Hayward
Seattle
Atlanta
Detroit
Akron, OH
And many other cities like San Francisco and Berkeley are considering them.
I am begging you, to please consider that Israel has gone completely off the rails and has utilized our representatives' support for their “right to defend themselves” unconditionally, as their means to carry out a long hoped-for opportunity to wipe out Palestinians in Gaza.
We recently saw the passage of HR 888 which equates criticism of the state of Israel’s right to exist as inherently antisemitic.
I can tell you, as a Jew, Israel does not and has never represented my Judaism.
What it has been a representative of, is a colonizing nation-state that has egregiously exploited the trauma of my ancestors, as well as all Jews’, dishonoring their experiences of genocide by using them to justify and perpetuate that very same violence (arguably on a larger scale) against another people. And it has co-opted the narratives of our relatives, taken them hostage- really, and weaponized them to shield themselves from any criticism of its actions.
Regardless if you relate or agree with that or not, you have to admit that strategically speaking, their relentless, heavy-handed military response to what occurred on Oct 7, is both disproportionate and the worst decision they could have made, if they are indeed concerned with the safety of their citizens. Their actions have ramifications for Jews all over the world and the path they are on now will never result in peace or safety for Jews or Palestinians. We have a direct hand in this issue because our tax dollars are profoundly funding this crisis and that money should be kept here to improve the lives of taxpayers.
I have attached a draft resolution and would be more than willing to work with you all on this project.
Thank you for your consideration,
Jordan Byrd
Proclamation Affirming the City of Santa Rosa’s Support for a CEASEFIRE and a Just Resolution for All in Palestine/Israel
WHEREAS many residents of the City of Santa Rosa and the surrounding areas maintain strong personal ties to the victims on both sides; and
WHEREAS, every day we witness relentless bombing by the Israeli military on civilian institutions, such as hospitals, ambulances, churches, mosques, residential buildings, treatment plants, and bakeries, in which nearly 18,000 innocent civilians, nearly half of whom are children, have died and many more have been injured or are buried beneath the rubble; and
WHEREAS, against all international law, the collective punishment of the Palestinian population of Gaza is depriving them of basic human needs, such as clean drinking water, food, electricity, fuel, medical supplies, building materials; and
WHEREAS the forced transfer of the population within the Gaza Strip constitutes ethnic cleansing as has happened to the Palestinians in 1948, 1967, and continues with the ongoing demolitions of homes and destruction of villages and neighborhoods in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza; and
WHEREAS Gaza is known as “the world’s largest open air prison” due to ongoing unbearable living conditions imposed by the state of Israel, including a full air, land and sea blockade, enclosure of its borders by concrete walls and barbed wire fences, and strict restrictions on movement of its residents; and
WHEREAS The United States gives billions of dollars in military aid to Israel every year from our tax dollars – money that is desperately needed to fund education, healthcare, housing, and much more in our community; and
WHEREAS many of the families of the hostages fear the military onslaught on Gaza is putting their loved ones’ lives at risk and are calling for a prisoner exchange as has been offered by Hamas; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Santa Rosa joins the United Nations, world leaders, religious leaders, and citizens of the world everywhere in calling for an immediate CEASEFIRE and an end to all armed hostilities by all sides in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially in Gaza, and in Israel; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Santa Rosa calls for the immediate commencement of negotiations between the two sides for the release of all the hostages taken on October 7th in return for the release of all Palestinian political prisoners; and
FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Santa Rosa advocates for the dignity and safety of residents in every community and that peace diplomacy between Palestinians and Israelis is possible with the help of fair-minded people and leaders of the world.
From: Rosa Jerez
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Call for à ceasefire
Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 12:43:36 PM
Hello, I’m writing to urge you to show unity with the movement to stop killing Palestinian civilians. Please pass a ceasefire resolution. Thank you for your time.
Rosa Jerez
From: Zoe Kessler
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] CEASEFIRE NOW
Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 2:26:02 PM
To my city council,
I am a long time sonoma county resident. And I am Jewish. I grew up among many Israelis, my family very involved in the synagogue. Given a jewish education. My Hebrew name is Chaiah, which means life, which is sacred in Judaism no matter who you are. I am writing to you representing myself not only as a Jew, but just someone with a working brain and heart that can see so plainly the crimes against humanity Israel has committed is not in the name of jewish safety! This is a siege and barbaric conquering
to obtain land and a brutal Genocide. And a Holocaust of the Palestinian people! We are witnessing a replay of what the Nazi’s did to Jews and other marginalized groups in Europe. As the world sees images of men, fathers, sons, doctors, educators, artists and normal good human beings just like us, being rounded up and stripped down and taken to their death on trucks, I reminded of the images and history I was shown of Jews in concentration camps being sent to the death chambers. Our president and congressman have failed us. Our UN representative failed us. The world is watching our government pay for and pluck the strings of this unforgivable atrocity.
We in our community and constituents of Santa Rosa look to you stand up and do the right thing. Call for and help us put pressure on congress for an Imediate and Permanent Ceasefire now!
It is not too late to speak up, but it will be soon and you will hold the guilt forever that you said nothing while an entire nation of people perished like the 6 million Jews across Europe.
Sent from my iPhone
Zoë Lynne Kessler, CMT
From:
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] ceasefire!
Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 3:16:22 PM
Dear elected officials,
I am writing to let you know that as a Santa Rosa resident and resident of this country I stand on the side of "Doctors without Boarders", the UN and so many social justice leaders of the world when I say I want my local leaders to say something even if you don't have actual power to call for humanity to prevail. I want you to be aligned with the over 60% of residents of the US and call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire.
You have the power to say "we don't stand on the side with those who use language like "human animals" and "clean once an for all" we stand with
care and humanity and we know from history that we want to be on the side of great leaders like Nelson Mandela". I hope you use your power to care.
Thank you for your time.
Lee Vandeveer
From: Katrin Ciaffa
To: CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Message to the Santa Rosa City Council Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 3:47:49 PM
Please review before the December 12th, 2023 City Council Meeting. Thank you.
Dear Members of the Santa Rosa City Council:
My name is Katrin Ciaffa and I am a resident of Santa Rosa’s District 4. I am writing to you today because the mounting death toll in Gaza is weighing heavily on me. Over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed since the horrific October 7th attack on Israel, nearly half of them children. Most of the hostages are still not safe. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is beyond the pale. This sickening cycle of violence is never going to stop until a just, political solution is found. It has to start with a permanent ceasefire. That will also allow for a safe return of all hostages.This is why I am asking you, the Santa Rosa City Council, to take a stand for human rights - and human life! -
by drafting a resolution calling for a permanent
ceasefire. I am aware that in your role, this would be a symbolic gesture, but it would mean a lot to constituents like me who are dismayed by the lack of compassion and responsiveness by our representatives in Washington DC and the US government.
Mounting calls for a ceasefire are being willfully ignored, or worse, vetoed and punished.
Instead we are sending more money and more weapons, causing more civilian deaths. The Santa Rosa City Council has the opportunity to speak up for human life and for lasting, just peace. I am calling on you to be brave and dissent from the status quo. If we continue to remain silent, we all have blood on our hands.
Respectfully,
Katrin Ciaffa
Santa Rosa CA 95404
From: Kamryn Trinkino
To: CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Listen to Santa Rosa residents!
Date: Monday, December 11, 2023 4:16:19 PM
Dear Members of the Santa Rosa City Council:
My name is Kamryn Trinkino and I am a resident of Santa Rosa’s District 2. I am writing to you today because the mounting death toll in Gaza is weighing heavily on me. Over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed since the horrific October 7th attack on Israel, nearly half of them children. Most of the hostages are still not safe. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is beyond the pale. This sickening cycle of violence is never going to stop until a just, political solution is found. It has to start with a permanent ceasefire. That will also allow for a safe return of all hostages.This is why I am asking you, the Santa Rosa City Council, to take a stand for human rights - and human life! -
by drafting a resolution calling for a permanent
ceasefire. I am aware that in your role, this would be a symbolic gesture, but it would mean a lot to constituents like me who are dismayed by the lack of compassion and responsiveness by our representatives in Washington DC and the US government.
Mounting calls for a ceasefire are being willfully ignored, or worse, vetoed and punished.
Instead we are sending more money and more weapons, causing more civilian deaths. The Santa Rosa City Council has the opportunity to speak up for human life and for lasting, just peace. I am calling on you to be brave and dissent from the status quo. If we continue to remain silent, we all have blood on our hands.
Respectfully,
Kamryn Trinkino
Santa Rosa, CA 95405