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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
I reside in District 1 of Oakland. I am calling on the city council to listen to the residents of Oakland and resolutely support a permanent ceasefire, an unrestricted entry of aid into Gaza, the restoration of food, water, electricity and medical supplies to Gaza, and the respect for international law. Israel, since its colonizing/occupational inception founded in Zionist ideology, has routinely and consistently targeted, displaced, and murdered Palestinians. The illegitimate settler colony of Israel continues to do this with the unwavering financial, discursive, and political support of countries like the United States and with the end goal of "flattening" Gaza and ethnically cleansing all Palestinians there (and in the West Bank). This occupation, apartheid state, and the deplorable conditions and violence Palestinians are subjected to at the hands of Israel did not start on October 7th. The very least that we can do is call on a resolution that respects Palestinians right to exist, a protection of their livelihood, and the end of the US' support of Israel's bloodshed. To end, I want to add that if we are talking about "releasing all hostages" this should include the THOUSANDS of Palestinians that Israel holds in their prisons in perpetuity. Release Palestinian political prisoners. Free Palestine.
The entire state of California looks to Oakland as a leading voice in social and racial justice.
Passing this ceasefire resolution would set a precedent for the state and the country to prioritize human lives and peace.. I call on you to honor Oakland history and the countless constituents who are supporting your ceasefire Resolution today.
District 2 resident and small local business owner.
I am a longtime volunteer with Oakland's POOR Magazine Solidarity Family. This resolution must be passed immediately, with no capitulation to the inappropriate and genocide-denying calls to condemn Hamas. I join the many, many Oakland residents calling on you to act decisively and courageously to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. A permanent and immediate ceasefire is the absolute bare minimum. The State of Israel has openly declared its intent to escalate its extermination campaign over at least two more months. Some estimates suggest 20,000 Palestinians have been murdered in less than 50 days. There is no time to waste, we are already so late. Pass the resolution now. Then call for end to ALL US aid to Israel.
As an educator and Oakland resident, I ask our City Councilmembers to support this important resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. End the siege on Gaza now!
I am a Jewish Oakland resident and I support immediate ceasefire. Those who call this resolution antisemitic misrepresent me and my community. There is no way forward through continued massacre of the Palestinian people. Please do what is right and represent your constituents!
Oakland City Council MUST support this call for an immediate ceasefire and demand the cessation of all US support of the “Israeli” occupation. Palestine will be free!
Thank you Councilmember Fife for bringing forth this resolution! As a resident of Oakland District 1, I urge Councilmember Kalb to vote in support of this resolution. A ceasefire is the bare minimum step in ensuring the end of the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. I join the voices of my fellow Oakland residents in encouraging the Oakland City Council to adopt a resolution similar to Richmond, clarifying that Oakland does not stand for the genocide of Palestinians, and pressuring the federal government to enact a permanent ceasefire.
I am writing in full support of this resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. As citizens of a country that has been funding and fueling the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine, supporting a permanent ceasefire in this intensely urgent moment is both a critical first step, and the absolute bare minimum of what the city of Oakland can do right now. Our neighboring city of Richmond has already taken this step over a month ago. Let us follow in their footsteps and stand on the right side of history, too many innocent lives have already been lost.
Thank you for writing and voting on this proposed resolution! I am an Israeli-American Jew in support of the resolution and agree that all life is precious, especially the lives of the Palestinian people who are being most affected right now.
I am Ashkenazi Jewish, I am Queer, and I am begging you to support the resolution in favour of a ceasefire. Israel does not represent the majority of Jews, and it does not keep us safe. It is a blip on the long and powerful timeline of Judaism, which thrives with polycultural and liberatory, values. More urgently, Israel is actively, mass-scale killing and traumatizing Palestinians. Please listen to the masses of Jewish voices begging for the end to this violence on Palestinians. A ceasefire is the least we can offer them - they deserve full support, solidarity, and resources. They deserve liberation and reparations. They have deserved this for 75 years and in this most heinous of moments, there is no moral thing to do other than support their voices and demand a ceasefire. Please. Thank you for your time.
I am an Oakland resident and support an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza. I urge councilmembers to represent the people of Oakland well by supporting this resolution that is important to so many communities.
Thank you, Oakland City Council, for hearing the calls of your community to urgently pass legislation in support of a ceasefire in Palestine.
I would like to propose a few changes to the drafted legislation, but it’s most important for the resolution to be enacted, regardless if you incorporate my suggestions.
The first is a change in the phrase “Oakland condemns the recent rise of Antisemitic, Islamophobic, racist, homophobic, and xenophobic attacks”. I request that you change the order of adjectives to include “racist” and “Islamophobic” before “Antisemitic” because the violence we’re witnessing is largely racist & Islamophobic, and while antisemitism is a threat as well, those whose safety is more threatened right now are Palestinians, Muslims, and Arabs.
I would also suggest a change in “over one thousand people in Israel and more than eleven thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been killed”. In putting Israeli lives lost first, you equate the lives of colonizers with the lives of the colonized. Please place Palestinian lives before Israeli ones. Many Israelis killed were actually killed by their own government. But even with regards to the violence committed by Hamas, that is justified. International law recognizes Palestinians' right to resist occupation, including using violence. Please affirm this right. And “Israeli” hostages taken by Hamas are treated with a higher level of respect than Palestinians are given by the apartheid state of Israel.
I support this resolution
I reside in District 1 of Oakland. I am calling on the city council to listen to the residents of Oakland and resolutely support a permanent ceasefire, an unrestricted entry of aid into Gaza, the restoration of food, water, electricity and medical supplies to Gaza, and the respect for international law. Israel, since its colonizing/occupational inception founded in Zionist ideology, has routinely and consistently targeted, displaced, and murdered Palestinians. The illegitimate settler colony of Israel continues to do this with the unwavering financial, discursive, and political support of countries like the United States and with the end goal of "flattening" Gaza and ethnically cleansing all Palestinians there (and in the West Bank). This occupation, apartheid state, and the deplorable conditions and violence Palestinians are subjected to at the hands of Israel did not start on October 7th. The very least that we can do is call on a resolution that respects Palestinians right to exist, a protection of their livelihood, and the end of the US' support of Israel's bloodshed. To end, I want to add that if we are talking about "releasing all hostages" this should include the THOUSANDS of Palestinians that Israel holds in their prisons in perpetuity. Release Palestinian political prisoners. Free Palestine.
The entire state of California looks to Oakland as a leading voice in social and racial justice.
Passing this ceasefire resolution would set a precedent for the state and the country to prioritize human lives and peace.. I call on you to honor Oakland history and the countless constituents who are supporting your ceasefire Resolution today.
District 2 resident and small local business owner.
I am a longtime volunteer with Oakland's POOR Magazine Solidarity Family. This resolution must be passed immediately, with no capitulation to the inappropriate and genocide-denying calls to condemn Hamas. I join the many, many Oakland residents calling on you to act decisively and courageously to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. A permanent and immediate ceasefire is the absolute bare minimum. The State of Israel has openly declared its intent to escalate its extermination campaign over at least two more months. Some estimates suggest 20,000 Palestinians have been murdered in less than 50 days. There is no time to waste, we are already so late. Pass the resolution now. Then call for end to ALL US aid to Israel.
As an educator and Oakland resident, I ask our City Councilmembers to support this important resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. End the siege on Gaza now!
I strongly urge the city of Oakland to stand with Palestinian people and demand immediate and permanent ceasefire
I am in full support of this resolution and call for a permanent, ongoing ceasefire in Gaza.
I strongly support the worldwide calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to stop the genocide.
I am a Jewish Oakland resident and I support immediate ceasefire. Those who call this resolution antisemitic misrepresent me and my community. There is no way forward through continued massacre of the Palestinian people. Please do what is right and represent your constituents!
Oakland City Council MUST support this call for an immediate ceasefire and demand the cessation of all US support of the “Israeli” occupation. Palestine will be free!
Demand a ceasefire now.
I am a North Oakland resident and I wholeheartedly urge the Council to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Thank you.
Thank you Councilmember Fife for bringing forth this resolution! As a resident of Oakland District 1, I urge Councilmember Kalb to vote in support of this resolution. A ceasefire is the bare minimum step in ensuring the end of the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. I join the voices of my fellow Oakland residents in encouraging the Oakland City Council to adopt a resolution similar to Richmond, clarifying that Oakland does not stand for the genocide of Palestinians, and pressuring the federal government to enact a permanent ceasefire.
I am writing in full support of this resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. As citizens of a country that has been funding and fueling the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine, supporting a permanent ceasefire in this intensely urgent moment is both a critical first step, and the absolute bare minimum of what the city of Oakland can do right now. Our neighboring city of Richmond has already taken this step over a month ago. Let us follow in their footsteps and stand on the right side of history, too many innocent lives have already been lost.
Thank you for writing and voting on this proposed resolution! I am an Israeli-American Jew in support of the resolution and agree that all life is precious, especially the lives of the Palestinian people who are being most affected right now.
As a district 2 resident, I urge the Oakland City Council to support a permanent and immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
I am an Oakland resident in District 3. I urge the City Council to support the Resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
I am Ashkenazi Jewish, I am Queer, and I am begging you to support the resolution in favour of a ceasefire. Israel does not represent the majority of Jews, and it does not keep us safe. It is a blip on the long and powerful timeline of Judaism, which thrives with polycultural and liberatory, values. More urgently, Israel is actively, mass-scale killing and traumatizing Palestinians. Please listen to the masses of Jewish voices begging for the end to this violence on Palestinians. A ceasefire is the least we can offer them - they deserve full support, solidarity, and resources. They deserve liberation and reparations. They have deserved this for 75 years and in this most heinous of moments, there is no moral thing to do other than support their voices and demand a ceasefire. Please. Thank you for your time.
I am an Oakland resident and support an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza. I urge councilmembers to represent the people of Oakland well by supporting this resolution that is important to so many communities.
Thank you, Oakland City Council, for hearing the calls of your community to urgently pass legislation in support of a ceasefire in Palestine.
I would like to propose a few changes to the drafted legislation, but it’s most important for the resolution to be enacted, regardless if you incorporate my suggestions.
The first is a change in the phrase “Oakland condemns the recent rise of Antisemitic, Islamophobic, racist, homophobic, and xenophobic attacks”. I request that you change the order of adjectives to include “racist” and “Islamophobic” before “Antisemitic” because the violence we’re witnessing is largely racist & Islamophobic, and while antisemitism is a threat as well, those whose safety is more threatened right now are Palestinians, Muslims, and Arabs.
I would also suggest a change in “over one thousand people in Israel and more than eleven thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been killed”. In putting Israeli lives lost first, you equate the lives of colonizers with the lives of the colonized. Please place Palestinian lives before Israeli ones. Many Israelis killed were actually killed by their own government. But even with regards to the violence committed by Hamas, that is justified. International law recognizes Palestinians' right to resist occupation, including using violence. Please affirm this right. And “Israeli” hostages taken by Hamas are treated with a higher level of respect than Palestinians are given by the apartheid state of Israel.
Thank you.