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Agenda Item
1 23-0935 Subject: Affirming Oakland's Support For The Congressional And Worldwide Calls For Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza
From: Councilmember Fife
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution Affirming Oakland's Love Life Commitment And Support For The Congressional And Worldwide Calls For An Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza
As President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken and Congress have all made clear: There can be no lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians if Hamas remains in power. As stated in their charter and shown by their October 7 attack, the deadliest on global Jews since the Holocaust and which they have vowed to commit again and again and again regardless of any Israeli policy or leader, Hamas has no interest in coexistence. In addition to this, a performative resolution by a city council halfway around the world does nothing to solve an Arab-Israeli conflict that has been going on for years and only serves to divide our community in Oakland and drive more abhorrent acts of antisemitism and islamophobia.
I'm an Oakland resident in District 1 and I am in immense SUPPORT for a ceasefire right now. More and more cities across the country are demanding that the United States government stop using our tax dollars and our labor to funnel a genocide against the Palestinian people. Over 14,000 Palestinians have been killed and over a million have been displaced. Both of these numbers are incredibly higher than the 1948 Nakba, and Israel and the U.S. still plan on continuing this genocide. The City of Oakland has the influence to increase federal pressure for a ceasefire. We need a ceasefire now! Thank you Carroll Fife for introducing this resolution.
I’m a resident of Oakland (District 3). I’m in support of an immediate and urgent ceasefire. There have been +14,000 Palestinians killed since October 7th due to this genocidal war, and 1.6 million people have been displaced from their homes. It is imperative that we keep fighting to end Israel’s besiege on Gaza. Free Palestine.
As an Oakland resident of District 5 as well as a conscientious human being I urge this body to approve Councilmember Fife's critical resolution. As representative legislators of a municipal corporation of the State of California it is morally necessary for this stand to be taken so as to pressure the state at large to echo it. Opposition to this is nothing less than tacit complicity with genocide. Ceasefire Now!
I support the resolution to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The people of Gaza are victims of a genocide, and I ask that our elected leaders speak up for the thousands of Palestinians who have been needlessly killed. We the residents of Oakland must join the worldwide calls for an immediate ceasefire.
I oppose this ridiculous resolution. Instead of focusing your efforts on our city which is in shambles and declining day by day you choose to ignore your residents and introduce a one sided anti semetic resolution that completely ignores the atrocities that happened on October 7th and further divides our already divided city. Focus your efforts instead towards combatting crime which is at an all time high, daily shootings, carjackings, muggings, smash and grabs just to list a few. Residents are scared to walk their dogs. Business are being driven out, and homelessness keeps growing. Focus on creating a safer city for us and our children.
This resolution is divisive to our community. As President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken and Congress have all made clear: There can be no lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians if Hamas remains in power. As stated in their charter and shown by their October 7 attack – the deadliest on global Jews since the Holocaust – Hamas has no interest in coexistence. Please withdraw this resolution.
With a call to address root causes, but failing to condemn Hamas' actions this resolution is as pointless as it is harmful. While the humanitarian intentions are noble, do you know who else is calling for a ceasefire right now? Hamas. They have achieved their victory and have demonstrated repeatedly they do not hesitate to break ceasefires.
If you care about safety, security, and human life as this resolution implicates - there should be no reservations about calling for disarmament and surrender of Hamas' leadership for the crimes perpetuated on 10/7. Failing to do so simply wildly ignores the fears and pain experienced by the overwhelming majority of your Jewish constituents.
Face the mirror and ask yourself why it is hard or complicated to include in this resolution that a terrorist organization should be dismantled. Why are we so concerned with root causes, yet expect one side to endure terrorism in their backyard. Would people on Oakland be OK if every few years the people of Piedmont fired rockets at us and kidnapped our children?
If you cannot find it in you to call for a terrorist organization to lay down it's arms in the wake of an attack filled with gratuitous, medieval, levels of violence, rape, and torture, then you simply do not support a love of life and this entire resolution is hollow gaslighting
As a healthcare worker, i urge you to support this resolution. Calling on Oakland’s long history of showing up for justice and inclusion, the council must adopt this resolution to say stop the indiscriminate massacre of innocent civilians, women, men and children - more than 14,000 in 50 days, 1.2 million displaced and Gaza in ruins. Oakland must assert support for non violent solutions towards a lasting peace. This resolution is about preserving life and saying no to Israeli war crimes currently being documented. The targeting of safe spaces, such as schools, hospitals, individual homes; and targeting protected populations: innocent civilians, children, journalists, health care and emergency responders. we must speak against these atrocities.
this resolution is not about taking a side but about upholding the preservation of life and prevention of further humanitarian disaster. it also acknowledges and upholds the dignity of what the majority of jews have said, “ceasefire now and do not wage this destruction in my name.”
leading experts have supported that at worst the actions of Israel, now beyond any notion of self defense as it has been proven that negotiations have worked to resolve the hostage crisis, are genocidal, and at best the makings of a devastating humanitarian crisis.
we must say STOP! That there is another way. As someone who has worked to save lives my whole career, i do not want my tax dollars used in this way.
Councilmembers please act in the interest of racial justice for people everywhere, including in your jurisdiction, and pass this resolution as is. The ethnic cleansing must stop!!!
A ceasefire is an invitation for Hamas pause and rearm so that it can continue to murder, rape, and kidnap innocent civilians. A ceasefire also condones the oppression of Palestinians who cannot speak against this heinous group - a group that uses Palestinian women and children as human shields- for fear of death. How can either Israelis or Palestinians hope to have any lasting peace with this group in existence? Do individuals who support a ceasefire support this future for the region?
We must stop fueling violence in Gaza and elsewhere. The "pause" was insufficient, we need a permanent ceasefire in Gaza now, and we must continue to take a principled and consistent stance on the misuse of our tax money. No more tax money for war and bombs when our schools are underfunded, people cannot afford housing, and many in our community do not have their basic needs met.
As an attorney who works in Oakland, a Cal alumni, and a mother I demand that this body takes action now to end the genocide of Palestinian people. The cost of carrying out business as usual while the Israeli government dehumanizes, abuses, and murders children is immense. Families, multiple generations, entire bloodlines are being wiped out. This is genocide. Our humanity will never recover if we sit idly by and allow this to happen. This is the least we can do. I am proud of everyone who is speaking up, protesting, and organizing. Those who would justify this violence are not sane or worse are motivated by white supremacy and greed. If they can’t see it now, history will show them as it has with the slaughter of the indigenous people on Turtle Island and beyond. As our Jewish community members continue to say, never again for anyone!
As an attorney who works in Oakland, a Cal alumni, and a mother I demand that this body takes action now to end the genocide of Palestinian people. The cost of carrying out business as usual while the Israeli government dehumanizes, abuses, and murders children is immense. Families, multiple generations, entire bloodlines are being wiped out. This is genocide. Our humanity will never recover if we sit idly by and allow this to happen. This is the least we can do. I am proud of everyone who is speaking up, protesting, and organizing. Those who would justify this violence are not sane or worse are motivated by white supremacy and greed. If they can’t see it now, history will show them as it has with the slaughter of the indigenous people on Turtle Island and beyond. As our Jewish community members continue to say, never again for anyone!
I am an affordable housing professional and resident of District 3. I urge the City Council to pass this resolution as-is, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine.
A genocide is currently being committed with the “unequivocal support” of our federal government. Over the last 50 days alone, at least 15,000 innocent Palestinians have been killed, 8,000 of which are children. Thousands more have been forcibly displaced from their homes, severely injured, or are horrifically still buried under the rubble of destroyed infrastructure. Water, power, communications, and humanitarian aid have been mercilessly obstructed. Every day that action is not taken to stop this injustice risks another senseless massacre. This is all just latest and most severe iteration of Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestine’s indigenous population since 1948 - a ceasefire is the bare minimum we should be calling for.
You don’t need to be Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, Jewish, or Christian to feel the weight of a genocide being committed with our American tax dollars - you just need to be human. These dollars could be put to much better use at home and are desperately needed to meet the basic needs of food, housing, and healthcare for our communities. Please stand on the right side of history by speaking up and demonstrating the kind of leadership that our state and federal politicians have failed to exhibit.
As President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken and Congress have all made clear: There can be no lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians if Hamas remains in power. As stated in their charter and shown by their October 7 attack, the deadliest on global Jews since the Holocaust and which they have vowed to commit again and again and again regardless of any Israeli policy or leader, Hamas has no interest in coexistence. In addition to this, a performative resolution by a city council halfway around the world does nothing to solve an Arab-Israeli conflict that has been going on for years and only serves to divide our community in Oakland and drive more abhorrent acts of antisemitism and islamophobia.
Pass as is! Ceasefire now!
I'm an Oakland resident in District 1 and I am in immense SUPPORT for a ceasefire right now. More and more cities across the country are demanding that the United States government stop using our tax dollars and our labor to funnel a genocide against the Palestinian people. Over 14,000 Palestinians have been killed and over a million have been displaced. Both of these numbers are incredibly higher than the 1948 Nakba, and Israel and the U.S. still plan on continuing this genocide. The City of Oakland has the influence to increase federal pressure for a ceasefire. We need a ceasefire now! Thank you Carroll Fife for introducing this resolution.
Pass as is! Let the world know we support a free Palestine
I’m a resident of Oakland (District 3). I’m in support of an immediate and urgent ceasefire. There have been +14,000 Palestinians killed since October 7th due to this genocidal war, and 1.6 million people have been displaced from their homes. It is imperative that we keep fighting to end Israel’s besiege on Gaza. Free Palestine.
As an Oakland resident of District 5 as well as a conscientious human being I urge this body to approve Councilmember Fife's critical resolution. As representative legislators of a municipal corporation of the State of California it is morally necessary for this stand to be taken so as to pressure the state at large to echo it. Opposition to this is nothing less than tacit complicity with genocide. Ceasefire Now!
I support the resolution to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The people of Gaza are victims of a genocide, and I ask that our elected leaders speak up for the thousands of Palestinians who have been needlessly killed. We the residents of Oakland must join the worldwide calls for an immediate ceasefire.
I oppose this ridiculous resolution. Instead of focusing your efforts on our city which is in shambles and declining day by day you choose to ignore your residents and introduce a one sided anti semetic resolution that completely ignores the atrocities that happened on October 7th and further divides our already divided city. Focus your efforts instead towards combatting crime which is at an all time high, daily shootings, carjackings, muggings, smash and grabs just to list a few. Residents are scared to walk their dogs. Business are being driven out, and homelessness keeps growing. Focus on creating a safer city for us and our children.
The ceasefire has already been broken multiple times by Hamas and within 15 minutes. Hamas has only caused problems for the Palestinian people.
This resolution is divisive to our community. As President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken and Congress have all made clear: There can be no lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians if Hamas remains in power. As stated in their charter and shown by their October 7 attack – the deadliest on global Jews since the Holocaust – Hamas has no interest in coexistence. Please withdraw this resolution.
District 1 resident in support of permanent ceasefire
Please pass as is to inform Senators Padilla and Butler of our communities desired representation.
With a call to address root causes, but failing to condemn Hamas' actions this resolution is as pointless as it is harmful. While the humanitarian intentions are noble, do you know who else is calling for a ceasefire right now? Hamas. They have achieved their victory and have demonstrated repeatedly they do not hesitate to break ceasefires.
If you care about safety, security, and human life as this resolution implicates - there should be no reservations about calling for disarmament and surrender of Hamas' leadership for the crimes perpetuated on 10/7. Failing to do so simply wildly ignores the fears and pain experienced by the overwhelming majority of your Jewish constituents.
Face the mirror and ask yourself why it is hard or complicated to include in this resolution that a terrorist organization should be dismantled. Why are we so concerned with root causes, yet expect one side to endure terrorism in their backyard. Would people on Oakland be OK if every few years the people of Piedmont fired rockets at us and kidnapped our children?
If you cannot find it in you to call for a terrorist organization to lay down it's arms in the wake of an attack filled with gratuitous, medieval, levels of violence, rape, and torture, then you simply do not support a love of life and this entire resolution is hollow gaslighting
As a healthcare worker, i urge you to support this resolution. Calling on Oakland’s long history of showing up for justice and inclusion, the council must adopt this resolution to say stop the indiscriminate massacre of innocent civilians, women, men and children - more than 14,000 in 50 days, 1.2 million displaced and Gaza in ruins. Oakland must assert support for non violent solutions towards a lasting peace. This resolution is about preserving life and saying no to Israeli war crimes currently being documented. The targeting of safe spaces, such as schools, hospitals, individual homes; and targeting protected populations: innocent civilians, children, journalists, health care and emergency responders. we must speak against these atrocities.
this resolution is not about taking a side but about upholding the preservation of life and prevention of further humanitarian disaster. it also acknowledges and upholds the dignity of what the majority of jews have said, “ceasefire now and do not wage this destruction in my name.”
leading experts have supported that at worst the actions of Israel, now beyond any notion of self defense as it has been proven that negotiations have worked to resolve the hostage crisis, are genocidal, and at best the makings of a devastating humanitarian crisis.
we must say STOP! That there is another way. As someone who has worked to save lives my whole career, i do not want my tax dollars used in this way.
Vassilisa Kapila
Oakland resident
Councilmembers please act in the interest of racial justice for people everywhere, including in your jurisdiction, and pass this resolution as is. The ethnic cleansing must stop!!!
A ceasefire is an invitation for Hamas pause and rearm so that it can continue to murder, rape, and kidnap innocent civilians. A ceasefire also condones the oppression of Palestinians who cannot speak against this heinous group - a group that uses Palestinian women and children as human shields- for fear of death. How can either Israelis or Palestinians hope to have any lasting peace with this group in existence? Do individuals who support a ceasefire support this future for the region?
We must stop fueling violence in Gaza and elsewhere. The "pause" was insufficient, we need a permanent ceasefire in Gaza now, and we must continue to take a principled and consistent stance on the misuse of our tax money. No more tax money for war and bombs when our schools are underfunded, people cannot afford housing, and many in our community do not have their basic needs met.
As an attorney who works in Oakland, a Cal alumni, and a mother I demand that this body takes action now to end the genocide of Palestinian people. The cost of carrying out business as usual while the Israeli government dehumanizes, abuses, and murders children is immense. Families, multiple generations, entire bloodlines are being wiped out. This is genocide. Our humanity will never recover if we sit idly by and allow this to happen. This is the least we can do. I am proud of everyone who is speaking up, protesting, and organizing. Those who would justify this violence are not sane or worse are motivated by white supremacy and greed. If they can’t see it now, history will show them as it has with the slaughter of the indigenous people on Turtle Island and beyond. As our Jewish community members continue to say, never again for anyone!
As an attorney who works in Oakland, a Cal alumni, and a mother I demand that this body takes action now to end the genocide of Palestinian people. The cost of carrying out business as usual while the Israeli government dehumanizes, abuses, and murders children is immense. Families, multiple generations, entire bloodlines are being wiped out. This is genocide. Our humanity will never recover if we sit idly by and allow this to happen. This is the least we can do. I am proud of everyone who is speaking up, protesting, and organizing. Those who would justify this violence are not sane or worse are motivated by white supremacy and greed. If they can’t see it now, history will show them as it has with the slaughter of the indigenous people on Turtle Island and beyond. As our Jewish community members continue to say, never again for anyone!
I am an affordable housing professional and resident of District 3. I urge the City Council to pass this resolution as-is, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine.
A genocide is currently being committed with the “unequivocal support” of our federal government. Over the last 50 days alone, at least 15,000 innocent Palestinians have been killed, 8,000 of which are children. Thousands more have been forcibly displaced from their homes, severely injured, or are horrifically still buried under the rubble of destroyed infrastructure. Water, power, communications, and humanitarian aid have been mercilessly obstructed. Every day that action is not taken to stop this injustice risks another senseless massacre. This is all just latest and most severe iteration of Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestine’s indigenous population since 1948 - a ceasefire is the bare minimum we should be calling for.
You don’t need to be Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, Jewish, or Christian to feel the weight of a genocide being committed with our American tax dollars - you just need to be human. These dollars could be put to much better use at home and are desperately needed to meet the basic needs of food, housing, and healthcare for our communities. Please stand on the right side of history by speaking up and demonstrating the kind of leadership that our state and federal politicians have failed to exhibit.