Though thousands of miles from West Hollywood, fighting in the Middle East and human rights violations in China reverberated through the (virtual) chambers of City Council this week.
Councilmember Sepi Shyne adjourned the meeting with a memorial to the casualties of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has seen a massive escalation in recent weeks.
“I would like to adjourn as of last night’s count for the 200 Palestinians and 10 Israelis that have been killed as a result of the war,” she said, “the majority of which have been civilians and many children and women.”
Shyne’s family suffered deeply as their home country of Iran was ravaged by the 1978-79 revolution. They ultimately fled to the United States.
“As a survivor of war,” she said, “I can say that with certainty that true peace never ever results from violence and the tragedy and destruction of war has no winners on any side at any time.”
Public commenter Jordan David’s message was more pointed.
“Instead of low-income housing,” he said, “instead of health care, instead of food, safety or education, billions of our tax dollars are being looted to fund the apartheid colonial project of Israel and its genocidal attack on the people of Palestine.”
He urged councilmembers to pass a resolution “condemning the actions of Israel and encouraging a boycott, divestment, and sanctioning until they end the attacks on Palestinian families.”
“To stay silent about (Palestine) as lawmakers,” he told Council, “would truly be an act of violence. West Hollywood is supposed to represent progress — that means standing up for what’s right even when members of your own party are against you.”
Serena Oberstein followed him up to the (virtual) podium.
Oberstein, director of the anti-genocide nonprofit Jewish World Watch, started by thanking Mayor Lindsey Horvath and City Council for passing a resolution back in March condemning China’s actions against its Uyghur populace.
“Unfortunately the horror stories we’ve heard about Uyghur people being taken in the night, having their heads shaved, put on trains, interned in concentration camps and systematically disappeared are all too familiar to the Jewish community,” she said. “We must not be complicit.”
Ah, how about this. Maybe Israel has been waiting for and encouraging the Palestinian Authority to NOT have a platform that calls for the end of Israel. I believe a good percentage of the Palestinian people are oppressed by their aggressive, war minded, thug of a government. Those are the people to feel sorry for. But for us to take it out on Israel is foolish and frankly, not in the realm of rational thinking. Someone who does think this way is either simply ignorant or anti-semitic. ANY gay man or woman would be arrested and/or killed for being gay… Read more »
Hmmm, they can’t handle simple local issues like parking permits, scooters and traffic flow. Don’t get us started on development! What makes them qualified on foreign affairs? Seriously asking.
LOL. West Hollywood has no business criticizing anyone.
Maybe the City should stay out of foreign affairs, starting with rescinding their ban on working with businesses who support BDS movement. Duran and others gleefully voted to ban BDS when it was expected of them by the establishment. Surely the new Council is “reading the room” now.
Sepi, I still remember reading about your campaign fundraising with an organization that declared Duran antisemitic for voting for that Palestinian doc to be screened. Do you still consider even implicit criticism of Israel anti Semitic?
Maybe the City should stay out of foreign affairs, starting with rescinding their ban on working with businesses who support BDS movement.
Sepi, I still remember reading about your campaign fundraising with an organization that declared Duran antisemitic for voting for that Palestinian doc to be screened. Do you still consider criticism of Israel anti Semitic?
Where in the Constitution does it state that West Hollywood City Council conducts foreign policy? Does the council do anything but virtue-signal?
THE NEW MODERN BLOOD LIBEL FILLED WITH ALL THE KEY WORDS PROVIDED BY THE SQUAD: “the apartheid colonial project of Israel and its genocidal attack on the people of Palestine.” THE BEATING IN WEST HOLLYWOOD RESTAURANT LAST NIGHT WHEN A GROUP OF MAN WITH THE PALESTINIAN FLAG ASKED WHO’S JEWISH THEN ATTACKED IS A DIRECT RESULT AND ONLY THE BEGINNING….
First time for me. How about you? (Domestically, of course.)
No one cares Joshua.
Rogue violent factions are not representative of a pro-palestinian position, nor should they invalidate the movement, full stop.
It’s important that an investigation into this disturbing local attack is conducted that considers the very real possibility of pro-Israeli agitators being involved. Israel has a legacy of false flags within the USA to manipulate support for Zionism, not dissimilar from the CIA’s own tactics when installing puppet regimes abroad.
Jordan David will be known as an anti-semite. And the city council should stay out of Israel’s affairs.
Not the way I see it.