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Ceasefire resolution pulled from SF Democratic party committees agenda
The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee is turning heads after a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was pulled from their agenda.
SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee is turning heads after a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was pulled from their agenda.
The outcome: 4 hours of heated public comments Wednesday night.
"Very disappointed this was removed from agenda," Shirley Azzghayer, who supported the resolution, said during the public comment session over Zoom.
Many from the Bay Area Palestinian community were upset over the resolution being pulled, with one concerned citizen saying, "Good evening, warmongers, which is what you will be if you do not vote for the ceasefire resolution."
Committee member John Avalos is the author of the resolution calling on leaders like the President Biden to support a ceasefire.
But instead, Avalos tells KTVU he did not have enough support among his colleagues because of the language.
"There was quibbling over the word ceasefire," Avalos said.
His priority is to condemn Hamas and prevent any more innocent lives from being lost.
This comes after a similar resolution before a heated Richmond City Council meeting earlier this week, recognizing the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing.
Avalos told KTVU he was working to build consensus to include all community groups in the city.
But Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area CEO Tyler Gregory said that has not happened.
"I think the main thing we’re upset about is that we’re excluded from this process and that’s why we mobilized 800 community members to get this pulled."
The other concern, public comments Gregory feels came across as antisemitic.
"The Democratic party is big enough for Muslims and Jews," Gregory said.
For now, the committee will go back to the drawing board before sending a message to Washington.
"We affirm the right for Israeli and Jewish people who are in Israel to feel safe," Avalos said. "We also assert the right of the Palestinian people to resist their occupation."
The committee will be meeting over the next few days to change the language and possibly vote on the resolution.