Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
City Council Approves Zwick's Antisemitic Resolution Against Israel (Yes, we know he's Jewish - he made sure to tell everyone)
Antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed since October 7 with many blaming the Jews and Israel for the Hamas attack; Zwick appears to be of this group
May 15, 2024 - Last night the Santa Monica City Council devoted slightly over three hours in a 9-⅓ hour meeting to the topic of the Gaza conflict in the Middle East. Freshman councilmember Jesse Zwick had brought forward a resolution calling for a "negotiated bilateral ceasefire" in the military actions Israel is conducting to root out the terrorist organization Hamas. Hamas broke the previous ceasefire on October 7, 2023, brutally raping, torturing, and murdering Israelis and other citizens, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and taking more 240 individuals hostage. However, the language of the Zwick's Resolution blamed both sides equally, referring to a "cycle of violence."
Of course, none of this has anything to do with Santa Monica, a city on the West Coast of the United States.
The city council listened patiently to 2-½ hours of public comment on an issue in which their action would have no possible effect on the Middle East conflict and certainly not on the welfare of Santa Monica. They then spent another thirty-five minutes in what sounded more like a therapy session than a local government legislative assembly, discussing their feelings about war and peace and how everyone is important.
Most of the public speaking in advocacy for the resolution appeared to have been organized by some central entity. Many speakers wore black-and-white kaffiyehs, garb that was initially associated with the Palestine Liberation Organization. The PLO was formed with the express purpose to eradicate the state of Israel and, through its assassinations, kidnappings, and bombing activities was designated a terrorist organization until 1993. Hopefully ignorant of this history, several speakers, while wearing such garb, made sure to comment that "as a Jew" they supported the resolution.
Not all speakers supported the resolution. Some pointed out that for the city to take a stand on something in which there are strong opinions and emotions on both sides in such a diverse community was not a good idea.
Those interested in a positive result of the vote remained until well after midnight and appeared to heckle the council members if they did not agree with their point of view. Mayor Phil Brock received some disrespect from the crowd when he posited the whole idea of Santa Monica weighing in on the subject was pretty much moot as it would have no discernible effect on the conflict under discussion or the world at large.
The resolution's sponsor, Jesse Zwick, acting very somber, also brought up his credentials "as a Jew" and claimed that he had crafted the language of the resolution "in close consultation with local experts in the field of holocaust and genocide studies and remembrance." It was appallingly clear that he had not consulted with any experts in Middle East history - or even glanced at Wikipedia on the subject.
Jesse Zwick getting interviewed by Santa Monicans for Renters Rights in September 2022 to see if they would endorse him for City Council (They did - otherwise he wouldn't have been elected)
After Mayor Brock introduced additional language to the resolution calling on everyone to tolerate each other, which he deemed sufficient to pacify those who might think the resolution's language otherwise unfactual, and after Jesse Zwick condescended to admit in the Resolution that Hamas had been designated a terrorist organization (not that HE thought them such, he made sure to articulate) and to admit that over 1,000 Israelis had been killed, the council voted with near unanimity to pass the resolution.
Only Christine Parra voted no, apparently the only council member who actually understood that when a particular issue is polarizing, and there is no clear need to take a stand, you probably should NOT take a stand. She is the only one who deserves reelection.
Reader Comments(3)
bobby writes:
Libraries are closed 70% of the time. There are 88 cities in LA County and NONE other than Santa Monica invites and hosts homeless drug addicts to move to their city and parks. Santa Monica has given 3 taxpayer-funded parks to out-of-city drug addicts/prostitutes and invites more every day. City Council and City Manager and City Attorney are the enemy within city lines. We are paying these people to absolutely ruin and devastate our community. They have ripped city services like libraries, recreation, parks, clean streets, law enforcement, etc. from taxpaying citizens and - instead - pile money onto drug paraphernalia non-profits who keep earning more the worse the homeless and drug addiction problem gets. No matter how bad they do - more money goes to them. Over 90% of our crimes are committed by non-Santa Monicans but our local government keeps inviting criminals to this City to rob and harm us. This has to stop; it has to change. We cannot be ruled by criminals. Rise up
05/16/2024, 6:15 pm
GETITDONE writes:
This city is ridiculous. I do not want to support a bunch of hypocrites that don't care about the residents and only those that abuse the system, do illegal activities and use our parks and streets as their bedrooms. The Hamas/Israel conflict is international and little Santa Monica is puffing out it's chest to do what? We have no influence about that issue, only SOME of our own. The council should spend their 2 1/2 hours discussing about how we can out maneuver LA County regarding the outdoor needle exchange and requirement that we must have housing for every homeless individual before we can get them off the street. Also the state of California controls our daily lives when it allows developers to build massive buildings without appropriate parking. What is the City Council doing about that? Nothing!!! Maybe we don't need a City Council??
05/16/2024, 11:08 am
microcosme writes:
What a bunch of virtue signallers avoiding their own problems, as they always do.
05/15/2024, 1:19 pm