Jewish group opposes Richmond's 'inflammatory' and 'biased' Israel resolution
FILE: Richmond City Council Chambers.
RICHMOND, Calif. - The Jewish Community Relations Council is strongly opposed to Richmond's city council recently issued resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas
The JCRC said the resolution is "inflammatory" and "biased," and they are urging people to speak up against it.
The resolution states that the city of Richmond "stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza, who are currently facing a campaign of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment by the state of Israel; and the state of Israel is engaging in collective punishment against the Palestinian people in Gaza in response to Hamas attacks on Israel," among other affirmations of support for Palestinians.
In an email campaign, the JCRC is asking Jews and allies to write the city council and appear at Tuesday's meeting to oppose resolution R-1.
The Richmond city council has not written a resolution to support Israel, where 200 hostages have been taken and more than 1,400 people were killed Oct. 7 by Hamas terrorists.
The JCRC is encouraging Israel supporters to tell the council that not only does the resolution "lack any factual basis, but it will also deeply exacerbate the trauma and vulnerability of the local Jewish community."
The Richmond resolution also "falsely accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment, while offensively referencing the Holocaust to condemn Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks," the JCRC points out.
As a suggestion of what to say or write to the city council, the JCRC said that people could tell the politicians that in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks, the local Jewish community is feeling "unsafe and scared, and this resolution's lack of empathy for Jews will only exacerbate the pain the community is feeling."
The JCRC is asking the city council, instead, to condemn all forms of hate and take steps to support all residents with loved ones in the region.
On Monday, KTVU reached out to every city council member seeking comment but did not immediately hear back from all of them except Cesar Zepeda.
Zepeda said that he plans to make an amendment that would condemn Hamas and acknowledge the Israeli lives lost and those kidnapped. He said he was still working on his exact proposals.