US city council recognises Gaza facing ethnic cleansing

Richmond City Council yesterday voted 5-1 in favour of approving a resolution that recognises the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing.

After a debate that took seven hours, the vote was held a little after 1am yesterday, with the one council who voted against doing so not because he doesn’t support Palestine but because he believes more needs to be done to bring Palestinians and Israelis together.

Mayor Eduardo Martinez and Vice Mayor Gayle McLaughlin sponsored the resolution, which states 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.”

Responding to accusations that such criticism of Israeli policy is anti-Semitic, Martinez said: “I reject the notion that speaking out against Israel’s military and right wing government is anti-Semitic… We should never stay silent when it comes to any group. The Palestinian people are currently dealing with what the United Nations calls war crimes by the state of Israel.”

Though many questioned why the council had decided to go ahead with the vote, when local issues could have been discussed, councillors said the fact that US tax dollars were being used to support Israel in its bombing of Gaza meant the vote was vital and timely.

READ: Ex-Pentagon Adviser: US, Israel Special Forces tried to enter Gaza but were ‘shot to pieces’