Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that the city councils of Richmond and Oakland in California are preoccupied with the war taking place 12,000 kilometers away in the Gaza Strip, much more than they are preoccupied with the state of cleanliness and educational services in the city, and they express feelings that are not necessarily classic anti-Semitism but rather a manifestation of what many call it. “Disturbed Progressivism.”
The newspaper explained – in a report written by Daniel Edelson from New York – that Richmond, which has a population of 16,000 and was famous for building American ships during World War II, is the first city in the United States to condemn Israel, accusing it of “ethnic cleansing and collective punishment” that led to practical Al-Aqsa flood On October 7/Last October.
Support for the Palestinian people
After a long debate, the Richmond City Council declared its support for the Palestinian people, called for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and safe passage for humanitarian aid into Gaza,” and noted that “the State of Israel practices collective punishment,” which “is considered a war crime under international law.”
The city council’s decision confirmed – according to the reporter – amid chants of the crowds present, “Free Palestine… Free,” that Richmond opposes the massive military aid that the United States provides every year to Israel, which also deprives Americans of money to meet their urgent needs, acknowledging, however, “the memory of The history of the Holocaust.
The city’s mayor, Eduardo Martinez – at whom the Jewish residents shouted that he was a Nazi and an anti-Semite – denied that the decision was anti-Semitic, and said, “I refuse that speaking out against the Israeli army and the right-wing government is anti-Semitic.”
At the end of the debate, Sean Kozulczyk, a Jewish resident of the city, commented that the Islamic Resistance Movement (agitation) “She had a great night in Richmond.”
Kozulchik published a column in the local Jewish newspaper, in which she wrote, “Our local city council in Richmond issued a blatantly anti-Semitic resolution, full of lies and inflammatory propaganda, to hold Israel accountable for everything that happened to it on October 7.”
“The Jews of Richmond may decide to divest from this corrupt city, but we will not allow the goals of Hamas, Iran, Russia or any other Jew-hating monster to be achieved, no matter how many ways people tell us they hate us,” Kozolczyk said.
Auckland
Not far from Richmond, Oakland, with a population of 434,000, followed in the footsteps of its neighbor, and the city council voted unanimously on a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, after long hours of vociferous debate in which various organizations spoke. About the tragedy in Gaza and the thousands of civilian deaths.
This declaration is merely an official statement that does not go beyond public condemnation. It calls on Israel to respect international law and allow unlimited humanitarian aid into Gaza, and calls for the restoration of basic services and the release of all detainees.
Many other cities
In the same week, other large cities, such as Detroit, Seattle, and Atlanta, adopted similar statements, and their councils showed opposition to the war on the Gaza Strip and support. White House Israel, and although this list of cities has become long, Richmond and Oakland have placed themselves at the forefront of anti-Israel American cities.
The “toilets incident” was significant, as an Israeli woman was shocked when she discovered anti-Israel writings on the walls all over Oakland, and in the bathrooms of a cafe in the city. After filing a complaint with the employees, she asked to return to show them the writing, and after they understood where the matter was heading, They said they “know that Israel likes to seize private property and say it’s theirs,” and the café’s management later denounced the incident.
Last week, the city’s public schools became a battleground, as dozens of teachers gave their students unauthorized pro-Palestinian lessons as part of “tutorials” organized by a group of activists from the city’s teachers’ union, collecting “study materials” for students in grades eight to 12. .
These lessons describe Israel as an “apartheid state” and point to “the ongoing historical oppression and genocide of Palestinians.”
The city’s education department has opposed the initiative, calling it “divisive” and “harmful,” but without taking any steps against the teachers, dismaying parents and Jewish organizations who fear it will fuel anti-Semitism.
An American Jew, commenting on the position of many American youth in support of the Palestinians: They do not believe in two states for two peoples, but rather believe that we took the land and now we must leave it.
Crazy progressive
The Jewish residents believe – according to the newspaper – that this is not rampant anti-Semitism, but rather “crazy progressivism” that has swept the region. “It is a young generation that grew up to believe that the Jews are white and that they are colonizers, so this is the struggle of blacks against whites,” says one resident. The Jews, adding that they “do not believe in two states for two peoples, but rather believe that we took the land and now we must leave it.”
Although they say that anti-Israel sentiment in these cities is “not personal,” but rather part of a broader context of elite versus oppressed, the Jewish community is sensitive to anti-Semitism, and the other side is exploiting the situation.
Jewish organizations are trying to pressure the Oakland City Council not to take sides in the conflict or condemn Israel, because the ultimate goal is to reduce the flames of anti-Semitism and not prolong the fighting in Gaza, as the writer sees.
