From:
To: City Council; Mary Gourley
Subject: Consent Item #4 Support
Date: Monday, February 19, 2024 10:01:36 AM
Dear City Council Members,
I am a Jewish mother who has lived in West County for 35 years. I am a teacher at Analy High School in Sebastopol where I work with some of West County's most "at-promise" students. I am also an immigrant and labor rights advocate. As a co-founder and former ED of the Graton Day Labor Center, I have worked tirelessly for nearly three decades to support the most underserved residents of our County. I am a descendant of pogrom survivors.
I am writing in support of consent item #4, As one of the key organizers who worked on this current draft with Mayor Rich and Vice Mayor Zollman, I would like to speak to clear up misconceptions about the purpose of this ceasefire resolution.
I am deeply saddened and ashamed of the angry backlash by some Jewish congregation leaders and other Jewish community members to this proposed resolution and the insinuation that there are ant-semitic elements behind this and other resolutions that have now been passed by over 100 municipalities in the U.S. It is really important to clarify the difference between being an anti-zionist and being anti-semitic.
"Anti-Zionism” is a loose term referring to criticism of the current policies of the Israeli state, and/or moral, ethical, or religious criticism of the idea of a Jewish nation-state. It does not call for the elimination of the Jewish people. It does embrace an understanding that the Zionist ideology is the root cause for the oppression of the Palestinian people. It recognizes that the Zionism that took hold and stands today is a settler-colonial movement, establishing an apartheid state where Jews have more rights than others. For Jews, our own history teaches us how dangerous this can be.
Anti-semistism is hostility or prejudice against not only Jews but also other semitic people like Arabs, Muslim, and Palestinians. There have been some actual recent anti-semitic activities in our community, including:
People disrupting the Santa Rosa School Board, Sebastopol City Council and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meetings vilifying Jewish people and making other racist comments.
Known Nazis dropping flyers with hateful comments against Jews in Sonoma and Napa.
Synagogues and a Holocaust memorial at Santa Rosa Memorial Park being vandalized. A Palestinian owned deli in Petaluma being vandalized. These were all anti-semitic acts.
Many of the grassroots organizers and activists who are advocating for ceasefire resolutions in Sonoma County are members of Sonoma County for Palestine. We are a multi-ethnic, multigenerational coalition of Jews, Palestinians, and allies. Many members are Jewish descendents of pogrom and holocaust victims and survivors. To say we are anti-semitic is ludicrous. Those of us who are Jewish in the group support a ceasefire because our Jewish values and past have taught us that never again can we stand silent when genocidal attacks are perpetrated against innocent civilians. We oppose the weaponization of Jewish identity to justify the slaughter and systematic oppression of Palestinian people and the destruction of Palestinian society.
When we speak up against these atrocities we speak from our deep love for humanity and desire for peace. We want all people to live. We want the people in Gaza to live. We want the people in the West bank to live. And yes, we want the hostages to live. We want a world where Palestinian and Israeli children can play and prosper in peace together.
Eventually, you will be faced with voting for or against a ceasefire resolution. Please recognize that the current resolution is balanced, not one-sided. There is only one side, one way, and that is the way of peace.
You have the opportunity to stand on the right side of history and join the North Bay Labor Council, Sonoma County Democratic Party, California Nurses Association, United Auto Workers, Unite Here, Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO, 100 U.S. municipalities, 1000 Black Faith Leaders, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations and millions of people around the world in calling for a CeaseFire Now! Paz - Christy Lubin