Mar 11, 2025 City Council Meeting 3pm

[00:00:05]

LADIES

[ CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Bill Wells]

THE MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER, AND I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR CITY CLERK TO PLEASE CALL THE ROLE ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.

WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THEN REMAIN STANDING AFTERWARDS? FOR A BRIEF MOMENT OF SILENCE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU.

[ POSTINGS: The City Clerk posted Orders of Adjournment of the February 25, 2025, Meeting and the Agenda of the March 11, 2025, Meeting in accordance to State Law and City Council/Housing Authority/Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency Policy.]

WE HAVE NO PRESENTATIONS ON TODAY'S AGENDA, AND THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA, THE CHANGE OF STAFF.

DO YOU HAVE ANY AGENDA CHANGES? NO, SIR.

COUNSEL, SEEING NONE.

[7. CONSENT ITEMS: Consent Items are routine matters enacted by one motion according to the RECOMMENDATION listed below. With the concurrence of the City Council, a Council Member or person in attendance may request discussion of a Consent Item at this time.]

COUNCIL MEMBERS, DO YOU WISH TO PULL ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS? STAFF? NO.

ANGELA, DO YOU HAVE ANY SPEAKER, UH, UH, CARDS FOR CONSENT ITEMS? WE DO NOT, SIR.

THEN I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS. SECOND, PLEASE VOTE.

MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.

[ PUBLIC COMMENT: At this time, any person may address a matter within the jurisdiction of the City Council/Housing Authority/Successor Agency to the El Cajon Redevelopment Agency that is not on the Agenda. Comments relating to items on today’s docket are to be taken at the time the item is heard. State law prohibits discussion or action on items not on the Agenda; however, Council, Authority and Agency Members may briefly respond to statements or questions. An item may be placed on a future Agenda.]

AT THIS TIME, ANY PERSON MAY ADDRESS A MATTER WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL HOUSING AUTHORITY SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE ALCOHOL REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.

COMMENTS RELATING TO ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA ARE BE TAKEN AT THE TIME THAT THE ITEM IS HEARD.

STATE LAW PROHIBITS DISCUSSION OR ACTION ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.

HOWEVER, CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY MEMBERS MAY BRIEFLY RESPOND TO STATEMENTS OR QUESTIONS, AND AN ITEM MAY BE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA.

AND SINCE WE HAVE ANY SPEAKER CARDS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE ONLY HAVE ONE SIR FROM BRENDA HAMMOND.

HI, BRENDA.

COME ON UP.

I SAW IN THE RAIN OUT THERE.

HOW YOU DOING? I WON'T, MEL, I'M, I'M A GOOD PERSON.

, OR I, I WAS GONNA SAY I'M A GOOD WITCH, BUT SOMEBODY TOLD ME NOT TO SAY THAT, SO, UM, I DIDN'T GET TO WRITE ANYTHING DOWN YET.

.

UM, BUT THIS MORNING WHEN I WAS UP AT WALMART IN THE CLEARANCE AREA, I FOUND THIS ELEPHANT AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU GUYS.

.

IT COULD BE GOOD OR BAD.

SO I'M GONNA, I'LL DROP THAT OFF TO YOUR CLERK.

IT'S FOR YOU.

IT'S CUTE THOUGH.

I THINK, UH, IT ROLLS.

CAN WE, CAN WE GIVE IT TO PHIL? HE'S GOT THE, HE'S THE ONE WITH THE YOUNGEST KIDS.

OH, WELL YOU COULD DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH IT.

ALL RIGHT, PHIL.

PHIL, YOU GET THE ELEPHANT.

MY SON WOULD LOVE IT.

YEAH, YOU COULD DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH IT.

IT ROLLS.

IT'S WOODEN.

VERY KIND OF YOU.

SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HEARD THAT.

I LOST MY HAT.

DID I TELL YOU THAT? YOU KNOW MY HAT WITH ALL THE PINS ON IT? I DIDN'T HEAR THAT IT WAS GOING FROM HERE TO SANTEE AND IT BLEW OUT THE WINDOW.

.

I WAS SO SAD.

SO I SAID SOMETHING AT THE COUNCIL MEETING AT SANT'S AND THEY SAID THEY WERE GONNA GET THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO GIMME A TICKET FOR LITTERING.

AND, UM, BUT THEN, BUT THEN SOMEBODY ELSE SAID, UM, OH NO, IT HAPPENED IN EL CAJON .

SO I DON'T, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN EL CAJON AND SANT BLEW OUT THE WINDOW.

SO, BUT I DO HAVE MY MOTHER'S PIN, HER LEMON GROVE PIN.

'CAUSE SHE PASSED ON THURSDAY AND BEFORE YOU GET SAD ABOUT IT, UM, SHE WENT THE WAY SHE WANTED TO.

RIGHT? GRAM GRAHAM, I HAVE MENTORS IN THIS ROOM THAT I TALKED TO ABOUT THESE THINGS.

SO ANYWAY, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, EVERYTHING AND I'M SO WAITING TO DANCE.

I'M PUTTING ON WEIGHT.

I NEED TO DANCE .

SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, AND EVERYTHING AND, AND THIS ELEPHANT IS A GOOD THING.

IT'S NOT A BAD THING I HEARD.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANING OF ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT IT'S A GOOD THING YOUR BE SOMETHING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU CAN'T NOT DISCUSS IT.

OH, IS THAT WHAT THAT IS? YEAH.

OH, OOH.

THEN I'M GONNA WORK ON THAT.

.

[00:05:01]

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

YOU'RE ALWAYS A DELIGHT TO HEAR .

THIS MAY BE ONE OF THE SHORTEST COUNCIL MEETINGS WE'VE EVER HAD.

SO THERE ARE NO WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS, NO PUBLIC HEARINGS, NO ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS, AND NO COMMISSION REPORTS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.

THAT

[7. Council Activity Report]

MINE IS AS REPORTED.

AND, UH,

[8. COUNCILMEMBER STEVE GOBLE MTS (Metropolitan Transit System Board); East County Advanced Water Purification Joint Powers Authority Board; Chamber of Commerce – Government Affairs Committee; SANDAG – Board of Directors – Alternate; SANDAG Public Safety Committee – Alternate.]

MS. KENDRICK

[9. MAYOR PRO TEM GARY KENDRICK METRO Commission/Wastewater JPA; Heartland Communications; Heartland Fire Training JPA.]

[10. COUNCILMEMBER MICHELLE METSCHEL Harry Griffen Park Joint Steering Committee; METRO Commission/Wastewater JPA – Alternate; Heartland Communications – Alternate; Heartland Fire Training JPA – Alternate.]

[11. COUNCILMEMBER PHIL ORTIZ League of California Cities, San Diego Division; East County Economic Development Council; MTS (Metropolitan Transit System Board) – Alternate; East County Advanced Water Purification Joint Powers Authority Board – Alternate; Chamber of Commerce – Government Affairs Committee – Alternate.]

WE HAVE

[12. Resolution Against Antisemitism RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council directs staff to prepare a resolution establishing the City's antisemitism position. ]

ITEM 12 IS FROM MAYOR PRO TEM KENDRICK AND MYSELF.

AND, UH, GARY, DO YOU MIND IF I START WITH THIS? GO AHEAD.

UH, THIS RESOLUTION IS, UM, A RESOLUTION THAT I ASKED THE STAND WITH US ORGANIZATION TO HELP ME COME UP WITH BECAUSE ALL MY LIFE I HAVE BEEN DISTURBED BY ANTISEMITISM.

IT, IT SEEMS SO RANDOM, SEEMS SO UNFAIR, AND THE VIOLENCE PERPETRATED AND THE HATRED TOWARDS THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS ALWAYS TOUCHED ME.

NOT HAVING GROWN UP JEWISH.

I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE WHY IT, IT HAS AFFECTED ME SO MUCH, BUT IT REALLY HAS.

AND I, GROWING UP, I WENT TO SCHOOL LIKE ALL OF US AND STUDIED THE HOLOCAUST, STUDIED, STUDIED THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

AND I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE BELIEF THAT WHEN MY PROFESSORS AND MY TEACHERS AND HIGH SCHOOL SAID, BUT WE'VE ALL DECIDED AS A NATION THAT, UM, AND AS THE WORLD TO NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN.

NEVER AGAIN.

AND I ALWAYS TOOK COMFORT AND SOULNESS IN THAT BECAUSE I BELIEVED IT.

I, I THOUGHT WE ARE WAY PAST THE KIND OF CRUELTY AND BLIND BIGOTRY THAT WOULD ALLOW THE PERSECUTION OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS.

AND I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE CASE.

BUT THE WORLD HAS CHANGED AND ANTISEMITISM IS RAPID, UH, RAPID IN THE UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW.

IT'S EVERYWHERE.

IT'S ALL OVER THE CAMPUSES.

IT'S IN THE CITIES, IT'S ON THE STREETS, PEOPLE CALLING FOR GENOCIDE, PEOPLE CALLING FOR DEATH TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

IT'S NOT JUST IN AMERICA.

I SEE IT ALL THROUGHOUT EUROPE, ALL THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST.

IT'S ON THEIR RISE AGAIN.

AND IF ANYBODY'S A STUDENT OF HISTORY, THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ANTISEMITISM IS ALLOWED TO BURN BRIGHT WITHOUT ANY ATTEMPT TO PUT THAT FIRE OUT.

SO I'M ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TODAY TO BE WILLING TO, UH, HELP US WRITE A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD STAND UP FOR OUR BELIEF THAT THE ANTISEMITISM IS WRONG AND SHOULD BE COMBATED.

AND THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THIS TODAY.

AND I ASKED MR. KENRICK TO BE INVOLVED BECAUSE HE HAS AN EVEN CLOSER CONNECTION TO ANTISEMITISM THAN I DO.

AND I'D LIKE HIM TO TELL YOU ABOUT THAT.

WELL, A LOT OF, A LOT OF YOU MAY KNOW, 'CAUSE I'VE SAID IT IN THE PAST, THAT, UH, MY MOTHER WAS LIVING IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA BACK IN, UH, 1939, UH, WHEN CHAMBERLAIN GAVE HALF OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA TO HITLER WITHOUT A SHOT BEING FIRED.

AND, UH, SHE HAD A LOT OF JEWISH FRIENDS AND A LOT OF THEM DISAPPEARED.

HER BEST FRIEND HERTA FROM FIRST GRADE UNTIL SHE WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT MY MOM, WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT 20 YEARS OLD WHEN THAT HAPPENED.

WHEN THE, WHEN THE NAZIS CAME IN, UH, HER BEST FRIEND WAS CRYING ONE TIME, TALKING TO HER, GOES, WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS TO US? WHAT DO WE DO TO THEM? THEN SHE CAME OVER TO HER HOUSE ONE DAY, KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND SOMEBODY THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW OPENED THE DOOR, SAME FURNITURE, SAME THROW RUG, BUT THE, THE FAMILY WAS GONE.

AND SHE, SHE KNEW YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK, WHERE'D THEY GO? AND, AND SHE PASSED AWAY AT MY MOM PASSED AWAY AT AGE 95, AND WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT 90, SHE STILL HAD NIGHTMARES ABOUT HER FRIEND AND WHAT POSSIBLY COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER.

AND SHE WORKED FOR, UH, A JEWISH, UH, CARPET COMPANY OWNER.

AND THEY TOOK HIM AWAY ONE DAY TO WASH CARS AND THEY TOOK HIM AWAY AGAIN ABOUT A WEEK LATER, AND NO ONE SAW HIM AGAIN.

AND, UH, MY GRANDFATHER TOOK ME TO THE DUGOUT CONCENTRATION CAMP AT AGE 12, WHICH IS PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT TOO EARLY.

[00:10:02]

AND, UH, I AGREE WITH, UH, WHAT THE MAYOR HAS TO SAY.

UH, OVER, UH, 6 MILLION JEWS WERE MURDERED BY THE NAZI REGIME.

WE ACTUALLY HAD A JEWISH DENTIST THAT WAS WORKING RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM CITY HALL THAT WAS MURDERED.

AND, UH, IN GERMANY, THOSE JEWS WERE REF REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS WHEN THEY TRIED TO FLEE MOST COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, DIDN'T LET THEM IN.

SO I AGREE WITH BILL THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT THE JEWISH REFUGEES FROM DISCRIMINATION.

THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS NOW IN THE SAME SITUATION, THE REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS, ASYLUM ALL OVER FACING PREJUDICE IN THE UNITED STATES.

SO I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR.

WE NEED TO FORMALLY CONDEMN ALL RACISM AGAINST REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS.

SO, UH, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO FORMALLY ADD A LINE TO THIS RESOLUTION CONDEMNING RACISM AGAINST ANY IMMIGRANT REFUGEE OR ASYLUM SEEKER, UH, THE CITY.

UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO DO THAT, AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CITY OF LOVE AND NOT HATE.

SO THANK YOU.

I, HERE, HERE, I, I'D BE HAPPY TO SIGN INTO THAT CHANGE.

UM, LET ME, UH, OPEN THIS UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND, AND DISCUSS.

WE HAVE SPEAKER CARDS FOR THIS ITEM, SIR.

WE DO.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THE CARD SUBMITTED, YOU GUYS DID RECEIVE, UM, UH, SEVERAL EMAILS, A SUMMON, OPPOSITION SUMMON SUPPORT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT FOR THE RECORD.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

AND CURRENTLY I HAVE 13 SPEAKER CARDS.

OKAY.

THE FIRST ONE IS FROM VICKY ESRA.

VICKY, GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL MEMBERS, I'M HERE BEFORE YOU TO ASK YOU TO VOTE NO ON THIS RESOLUTION.

I STAND WITH YOU, UH, MR. KENDRICK, UH, AND YOUR, UM, SOLIDARITY WITH THE, THE JEWISH VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST.

AND I AGREE THAT IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

AS A CHILD, I READ ABOUT ANNE FRANK AS AN ADULT.

I VISITED HER HOME.

WE WENT TO MATT HAUSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP IN AUSTRIA.

IT'S A DEPLORABLE SITUATION, BUT YOU CANNOT CONFLATE ZIONISM WITH JUDAISM.

IF SOMEONE IS CRITICAL OF ISRAEL, THAT DOES NOT MAKE THEM CRITICAL OF, OF JEWISH PEOPLE.

JUDA JUDAISM IS A BEAUTIFUL RELIGION, THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD.

ZIONISM IS A FAIRLY RECENT IDEOLOGY WHICH PROMOTES HATRED, WHITE AND RELIGIOUS SUPREMACY.

UM, YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, AND EVEN ISRAELI, BUT SEM HAVE SAID THAT ISRAEL SOCIETY IS AN APARTHEID STATE, AND THAT MEANS DIFFERENT RULES.

THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY'RE OPPRESSED.

IT'S A WHITE SETTLER COLONIAL STATE, AND THEY OPPRESS THE INDIGENOUS PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERERS AND HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH HAVE, AS WELL AS THE ICJ HAVE SAID THAT ISRAEL HAS PRACTICED ACTS WHICH ARE CONSISTENT WITH GENOCIDE.

SO YOU SHOULD NOT BE SILENCING THE VOICES WHO WOULD OPPOSE THE, THE BOMBING, THE BOMBING OF CHILDREN, THE TORTURE AND ABDUCTION OF DOCTORS, THE KILLING OF AMBULANCE DRIVERS, THE BOMBING OF UNIVERSITIES.

THEY HAVE DESTROYED THE WHOLE COUNTRY OR, OR THE WHOLE GAZA STRIP WITH, WITH MY TAX DOLLARS.

SHOULD I BE PROHIBITED FROM VOICING MY OPINION THAT THIS IS WRONG? THAT WHILE WE HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LITERALLY ON THE STREETS, WHERE 60,000 PLUS AMERICANS DIE FOR LACK OF HEALTHCARE, WE SHOULD BE SENDING THEM BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BOMB CHILDREN? NO, WE SHOULD BE FREE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE SAME KIND OF OPPRESSION AS WE WE SHOULD AGAINST WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HOLOCAUST.

AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF, UH, LESSONS, WELL, MOST, MOST OF THE INFORMATION I'VE LEARNED IS, IS FROM ISRAELI PEOPLE AND JEWISH PEOPLE.

DOC, UH, DR. NORMAN FINKELSTEIN, WHOSE PARENTS WERE, WERE THE ONLY SURVIVORS IN THEIR ENTIRE FAMILIES FROM THE, THE NAZI HOLOCAUST TAUGHT THEIR KIDS.

THAT

[00:15:01]

SO LET'S, LET'S BE LOGICAL AND LET'S BE HONEST, THIS IS A PLOY.

IT'S A TACTIC, BUT TO SILENCE DISSENT AGAINST WHAT ISRAEL IS DOING, DO NOT GIVE THEM CARTE BLANCHE TO COMMIT MORE MURDERS AND GENOCIDE.

THANK YOU.

JAMAL.

KJ? YEAH, MY NAME IS JAMAL KJ, ZIP CODE 9 2 0 2 1.

I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO REMOVE IRA DEFINITION FROM THE RESOLUTION I-R-I-H-R-A, THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE.

THE DEFINITION HAS BEEN USED TO LABEL LE LEGITIMATE CRITICISM OF ISRAEL AS ANTI-SEMITIC.

EVEN WHEN THAT CRITICISM ADDRESSES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OR INTERNATIONAL LAW, THIS POSSESS A SERIOUS THREAT TO FREE SPEECH.

REAL ANTISEMITISM, LIKE HATE CRIMES, HARASSMENT AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES MUST BE CONFRONTED DIRECTLY.

BUT THE DEFINITION OF IRA DILUTES THOSE EFFORTS BY MISS LABELING POLITICAL SPEECH AS HATE SPEECH.

KENNETH STERN, THE ONE WHO AUTHORED IRA, TOLD US THAT IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE CODIFIED INTO LAW OR POLICY.

DOING SO, RISK WEAPONIZING IT AGAINST MARGINALIZED VOICES.

THIS IS THE WRITER OF IRA.

I STRONGLY URGE THE COUNCIL TO REJECT IRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM, AND INSTEAD, SUPPORT INCLUSIVE MEASURES THAT EFFECTIVELY COMPARED ANTISEMITISM AND ISLAMOPHOBIA IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY WITHOUT SUPPRESSING LEGITIMATE POLITICAL DISCOURSE.

THANK YOU, DORIS BITAR.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND THEIR SAFETY.

AND I THINK LANGUAGE THAT SUPPORTS THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION AND THE DISAVOW OF STEREOTYPES IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

BUT WE CAN'T COMPROMISE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT WHILE WE DO THAT AND SUPPRESS DISSENT, WHICH COULD LEAD TO DISCUSSION, WHICH COULD LEAD TO RESOLUTION OF, OF PROBLEMS. I AM LEBANESE PALESTINIAN.

I'M MARRIED TO A JEWISH MAN, AND WE HAVE TWO CHILDREN, AND I WANT THEM PROTECTED FROM DISCRIMINATION FROM BOTH SIDES.

AND WHEN I HEAR THAT WE CAN'T CRITICIZE ISRAEL AND WE CAN STILL, I BELIEVE, CRITICIZE OUR OWN COUNTRY HERE, THERE'S REAL DISSONANCE THERE.

THERE'S A DISCONNECT.

AND SO WE NEED TO COME UP WITH LANGUAGE THAT DOES NOT SQUASH.

OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS DOES NOT SQUASH DISCUSSION.

D DISSENTING VOICES ARE WHAT MAKE THIS COUNTRY GREAT.

AND SO WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH LANGUAGE THAT PROTECTS EVERYONE EQUALLY.

I CAN CRITICIZE THE PHILIPPINES, I CAN CRITICIZE EGYPT, WHICH I DO, WHICH I CRITICIZE SYRIA AND MANY, MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN THE, IN THIS PLANET.

BUT IF I'M TOLD I CAN'T CRITICIZE ISRAEL AND THEIR POLICIES, WHAT DOES THAT TELL MY CHILDREN? THAT IT'S OKAY FOR THE LEBANON AND PALESTINE TO BE CRITICIZED AND DEMEANED AND DEGRADED.

DISCRIMINATION IS UP BY 300% IN THE ARAB AND MUSLIM COMMUNITY, BUT THEY CAN'T CRITICIZE ISRAEL DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

YOUR DECISION ON THE LANGUAGE AND WHERE YOU GO WITH IT HAS CONSEQUENCES.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT MLU WAS TAKEN BECAUSE HIS STUDENT VISA EXPIRED.

IT TURNS OUT HE DIDN'T HAVE A STUDENT VISA, HE HAD A GREEN CARD, AND HE'S IN A LOUISIANA PRISON.

THIS JUST HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND AND WHAT GAVE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY THE PERMISSION TO LET THAT HAPPEN IS NEW YORK STATE ADOPTED THE HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DEFINITION, AND THIS STATE HAS TWO, BE COURAGEOUS, DO THE RIGHT THING, HAVE LANGUAGE THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO ALL GROUPS AND DOES NOT SQUASH OUR FIRST AMENDMENT, AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

THANK YOU.

[00:20:04]

HELLO.

UM, HAVEN'T BEEN TO CITY COUNCIL IN A LONG TIME, BUT I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE SPEAKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

I, UM, I'M A LONG TIME EL CAJON RESIDENT.

I WENT TO VALHALLA HIGH SCHOOL.

MY DAD GRADUATED AS A NATURALIZED US CITIZEN FROM EL CAJON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL.

MY MOM'S TAUGHT LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS IN LAKESIDE.

SO I HAVE VERY DEEP ROOTS IN A LOT OF INVESTMENT IN MY COMMUNITY WHERE I'VE LIVED FOR 35 YEARS WATCHING IT REALLY KIND OF, THESE CONVERSATIONS KIND OF SHIFT IN A, A MORE REACTIONARY AND ANTI-IMMIGRANT WAY IN A LOT OF, IN ALL THESE SPACES IS REALLY DISAPPOINTING.

AND IT, I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS HOW IT REALLY MAKES LONGTIME RESIDENTS LIKE MYSELF UNSAFE, UH, AND DOESN'T REALLY ADDRESS THE REAL ROOT OF OUR ISSUES.

UH, THE ISSUE THAT'S BEING ADDRESSED HERE TODAY IS THE DISCUSSION AROUND A RESOLUTION FOR ANTI, YOU KNOW, DENOUNCING ANTISEMITISM.

AND I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT ANTISEMITISM IS ON THE RISE.

I WAS OUTSIDE OF THE SYNAGOGUE IN 2019 WHERE THAT WHITE SUPREMACIST SHOOTER KILLED THAT INNOCENT WOMAN.

AND I'VE SEEN THAT THE LANGUAGE THAT'S USED IS OFTENTIMES OVERLOOKING THE VERY REAL ATTACKS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITIES, NON-WHITE COMMUNITIES, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, AND ALSO JEWISH PEOPLE AS WELL.

AND I REALLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER.

THE IRA DEFINITION THAT'S OFTENTIMES CONFLATED AS THE ANSWER TO, TO THIS ISSUE.

UH, THE IRA DEFINITION HAS BEEN LOBBIED HEAVILY HAS BEEN DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY ADDRESS THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE OF WHITE SUPREMACY, OF THE CRISISES THAT WE'RE ENCOUNTERING KIND OF SIMULTANEOUSLY THAT LIKE FUEL IT.

UH, AND EVEN THE PERSON WHO HELPED FOUND AND DRAFT THE IRE DEFINITION, KENNETH STERN WE HEARD ABOUT A LITTLE EARLIER, IS POINTING OUT THAT IT'S BEING USED MORE EFFECTIVELY AS A BLUDGEON TO STIFLE DISSENT TO STIFLE CONVERSATIONS ON CAMPUSES AND, AND, AND, AND WORKPLACES.

UH, AND IT'S NOT REALLY, UH, SERVING THE PURPOSE THAT IT WAS INITIALLY INTENDED.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE SEVEN OF 11 OF ITS NAMED, UM, EXAMPLES SPECIFICALLY POINT TO ISRAEL.

AND BASICALLY ANY CRITIQUE OR, OR, OR, OR MENTION OF ISRAEL AS A, AS A CAUSE OF ANTISEMITISM.

THAT'S WHY OVER 350 PROMINENT JEWISH SCHOLARS, HOLOCAUST HISTORIANS AND JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST IT AND INSTEAD PROMOTED, UH, THE JERUSALEM DECLARATION ON ANTISEMITISM IN ITS PLACE AS A, AS A STARTING POINT AT THE VERY LEAST.

SO MYSELF AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, A LONG TIME EL CAJON AND EAST COUNTY RESIDENT, I REALLY JUST WANTED TO BRING THESE ISSUES, UH, UP TO THE COUNCIL TO LET THEM KNOW THE VERY CONTROVERSIAL AND OFTENTIMES, UH, LET'S JUST SAY UNCOMFORTABLE LIKE REALITY OF, OF THIS DECLARATION AND HOW IT'S CONFLATED TO, TO STAND AS A ONE FOR ONE FOR SAFETY WHEN IT'S REALLY NOT.

AND REALLY WHAT OUR CITY NEEDS, RATHER THAN JUST LIKE PLATITUDES OR RESOLUTIONS IS A REAL DIALOGUE WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO THIS WORK.

UH, THE ONES THAT ARE BASICALLY GOING OUT AND TRYING TO FIGHT ANTISEMITISM THANK YOU, ALONGSIDE ANTI-RACISM.

SO PLEASE CONSIDER IT.

MELANIE BENNETT.

I HELLO.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

I AM HERE AS A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF EL CAJON.

I WAS HAVE BEEN IN THE BEGINNING.

I, OH, EL CAJON IS THE UGLIEST CITY.

I COME FROM THE UGLIEST CITY IN THE WORLD.

I WOULD SAY TO PEOPLE AND FRIENDS THESE DAYS, I AM SO PROUD OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN EL CAJON.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE LOOK OF IT.

I LOVE THE CHANGES.

HOWEVER, I AM DEEPLY DISTRESSED AND VERY UPSET THAT MY TOWN IS NOT A WELCOMING TOWN RIGHT NOW.

THERE ISN'T, IT ISN'T A CITY OF LOVE.

IT IS A CITY OF HATE RIGHT NOW TOWARDS EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF WHERE WE COME FROM.

AND IT'S DUE TO FEAR.

WHY ARE PEOPLE AFRAID OF EACH OTHER? WELL, WE'VE BEEN RILED UP TO DO THAT.

UH, WHEN YOU MEET PEOPLE FACE TO FACE AND TALK TO THEM FACE TO FACE, YOU'LL SEE THAT MOST OF US WANT THE SAME THINGS.

WE WANT A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE FOR OUR FAMILIES.

WE WANT SAFETY.

WE WANNA GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER AND HAVE A NICE

[00:25:01]

AND THAT'S WHAT EL CAJON SHOULD BE RIGHT NOW.

IT SHOULD BE A STELLAR EXAMPLE OF WHAT A CITY SHOULD BE OF LOVE, OF CARING, OF RESPECT FOR OTHERS.

THIS RESOLUTION, UH, THIS, UM, IDEA OF, UM, USING A DEFINITION TO, UM, YOU KNOW, STOP ANTISEMITISM IS NOT WHAT'S NEEDED.

WHAT WE NEED IS, UM, A WAY TO DIALOGUE, COMMUNICATE.

WE WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE BE ABLE TO SAY, OH MY GOSH, I AM SO APPALLED AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN PALESTINE.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S HAPPENING.

WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY THAT ANYTIME WE WANT DAY OR NIGHT.

IF YOU WANNA CONTINUE A BEAUTIFUL CITY, STATE, COUNTRY WHERE YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT BEING AN AMERICAN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RETHINK, UH, THIS PARTICULAR RESOLUTION.

I DEEPLY, DEEPLY OPPOSE IT.

AND IF YOU KNOW JEWISH VOICES FOR PEACE, THEY DO TOO.

AND WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT IT, IF YOU LOOKED ON THEIR WEBSITE, IT IS ONLY BOLD ACTION WILL BUILD SAFETY FOR ALL OUR COMMUNITIES.

INSTEAD, OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ARE CONSIDERING THE CONTROVERSIAL IHRA DEFINITION.

MAKE NO MISTAKE, LEGISLATING THE IHRA DEFINITION IS NOT ABOUT JEWISH SAFETY.

THE ONLY THING IT SECURES IS IMPUNITY FOR DECADES OF VIOLATING INTERNATIONAL LAW.

YOUR TIMES ON THAT AND T TRAMPOLINE ON PALESTINE HUMAN RIGHTS.

THANK YOU MARIA COHEN.

HELLO, TO START OFF WITH, SECOND OF ALL, I AM JEWISH.

I'M FROM A SYRIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY, AN ARAB JEWISH COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND OUTSIDE IT, THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM, CONFLATES CRITICISM OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL WITH ANTISEMITISM OR HATRED OF JEWISH PEOPLE.

THIS LANGUAGE ACTUALLY FURTHERS ANTISEMITISM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRITICAL OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL WILL BELIEVE DUE TO DEFINITIONS LIKE THIS, THAT ALL JEWS STAND FOR ISRAEL OR ISRAEL SPEAKS FOR ALL JEWS.

AND THIS FURTHERS THEIR HATRED TOWARDS THE JEWISH PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY SEE A STATE ACTING IN THE NAME OF ALL JEWS AND BELIEVE THAT THAT'S TRUE BECAUSE THERE IS NO SPACE FOR DISCUSSION OR DISSENT.

AND BECAUSE ANY CRITICISM OF A COUNTRY IS CONFLATED WITH HATRED TOWARDS THE PEOPLE.

ADDITIONALLY, THE STATE OF ISRAEL HAS HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED AND OPPRESSED ARAB, ETHIOPIAN AND PERSIAN ARAB, ETHIOPIAN PERSIAN, AND AFRICAN SOUTH AFRICAN JEWS, INDIAN JEWS ALSO, IT HAS FORCIBLY STERILIZED MEMBERS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY DUE TO THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN.

AND IT CONTINUES TO PERPETRATE AN APARTHEID SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF PALESTINE.

WE DON'T WANT THERE TO NOT BE A DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM.

WE DON'T WANT THERE TO NOT BE A RESOLUTION AGAINST ANTISEMITISM.

WE WANT ANTISEMITISM TO BE DISCUSSED, TO BE ADDRESSED, TO BE TREATED AS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, THAT IT IS.

HOWEVER, THIS DEFINITION DOES NOT DO THAT.

THIS DEFINITION HARMS OUR COMMUNITIES AND PROLIFERATES HATRED TOWARDS THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

IN ADDITION, THERE ARE SO MANY JEWS WHO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE STATE OF ISRAEL'S ACTIONS THAT TO SILENCE THEM WOULD BE CAUSING MORE OF A HARM ON OUR COMMUNITY THAN TO BE DOING ANY GOOD IN ADDITION, SORRY, I CAN HEAR MY VOICE AND IT'S VERY JARRING.

IN ADDITION, THESE, LIKE, THESE DEFINITIONS OF ANTISEMITISM ARE STIFLING DISCUSSION IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND ARE STIFLING THE POSSIBILITY FOR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACT THAT THERE CAN BE VARIED POSITIONS, THAT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS NOT A MONOLITH AND THAT FAIR, HONEST, IN GOOD FAITH CRITICISM OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND ITS POLICIES AND ITS ACTIONS IN RECENT TIMES, AND SINCE ITS INCEPTION, ARE NOT HATRED OF A COMMUNITY.

THEY'RE CRITICISM OF A STATE.

EVERY OTHER STATE CAN BE CRITICIZED IN THIS COUNTRY.

I DON'T SEE A REASON WHY THE STATE OF ISRAEL SHOULD BE AN EXCEPTION.

THANK YOU .

[00:30:02]

THANK YOU.

I PULL THAT DOWN.

YEAH, THANKS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THIS, UM, ISSUE.

IF I HADN'T BEEN HERE, WHEN YOUR COUNSEL REJECTED THE PROPOSITION TO ALLOW ALCOHOL HOME POLICE TO COLLABORATE WITH ICE THE SECOND TIME, I WOULD'VE BEEN VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THIS ON THE AGENDA.

OF COURSE, AT THE THIRD ATTEMPT, YOU DID PASS A RESOLUTION TO ALLOW YOUR POLICE AGAINST STATE LAW TO COLLABORATE WITH ICE.

THIS IS YET ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS FASCISM, APPARENTLY CURING FAVOR OF OUR DERANGED SELF-PROCLAIMED MONARCH.

MY FOREBEARERS ON MY FATHER'S SIDE WERE CZECH JEWS AND WE'RE ALL KILLED AT BUCHENWALD.

I AM NOT A PRACTICING JEW, BUT I WAS RAISED BY PARENTS WHO INSISTED ON RESPECT FOR ALL PEOPLE VALUING THEIR PERSPECTIVES AND LOVE FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR SHARED CULTURE.

I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT THIS IHRA DEFINITION AND SEEK OTHER DEFINITIONS OF, UM, ANTISEMITISM AND THE IH ARE A DEFINITION.

SEVEN OF THE 11 EXAMPLES OF ANTISEMITISM ARE EXPLICITLY, UM, AND SUPPRESSING FREE SPEECH AND EXPLICITLY DO NOT ALLOW FOR CRITICISM OF JU OF ISRAEL, WHICH IS CLEARLY SOMETHING THAT WE IN THE US AS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID, SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO.

AND CLEARLY AS, UM, I'M SORRY, I WAS OUTSIDE, SO I THINK IT WAS MAYBE COUNCIL MEMBER GOBEL WHO SAID NEVER.

HE WAS RAISED WITH THIS IDEA THAT NEVER AGAIN SHOULD BE NEVER, AGAIN, NOT JUST FOR JEWS, BUT FOR ANYONE.

AND AS YOU MUST KNOW, A GENOCIDE IS BEING COMMITTED WITH US MILITARY INTELLIGENCE, MILITARY PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND AND MILITARY ARMAMENTS TO THE TUNE OF AT LEAST $18 BILLION THIS YEAR ALONE TO KILL DEFENSELESS PALESTINIANS.

THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE, AND YOUR CITY SHOULD NOT BE STANDING UP WAVING THE NAZI FLAG BASICALLY AND SAYING THAT YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, FOR ISRAEL AND AGAINST FREE SPEECH.

THANK YOU.

WE HAVE NINE MORE SPEAKERS, SIR.

OKAY, THE NEXT ONE IS SHELLY DEION.

THANK YOU MAYOR WELLS.

WE MET IN OCTOBER.

UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, UM, THAT I DON'T AGREE WITH SO MUCH THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID HERE TODAY.

UM, BUT IT IS GREAT THAT WE LIVE IN AMERICA, A JUDEO-CHRISTIAN NATION WHERE WE CAN COME FORWARD AND SAY WHAT'S ON OUR HEART.

UM, I, AS I WAS PREPARING TODAY, I THOUGHT OF A QUOTE THAT HAS GUIDED MY LIFE REALLY, UM, EVER SINCE I READ IT IN MY THIRTIES.

IT'S A QUOTE BY MARGARET ATWOOD.

SHE'S A CANADIAN WRITER AND POET, AND THE QUOTE IS, WAR IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN LANGUAGE FAILS.

THE REASON THAT THIS QUOTE CAME TO MIND IS BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LANGUAGE TODAY, AND LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT IN COMMUNITY DISCOURSE.

IF WE DO NOT SHARE IN UNDERSTANDING THE DEFINITION OF A WORD.

I CAN'T EVEN SPEAK TO YOU TODAY AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND IT.

WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS A WORKING DEFINITION FROM THE IRA'S, UH, WEBSITE.

I READ IN ITS ENTIRETY ALL THAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS WORKING DEFINITION THAT HAS BEEN POSTED AT THE US STATE DEPARTMENT SINCE 2010.

THIS DEFINITION GIVES US STRUCTURE AND HELPS TO PROVIDE GUARDRAILS TO AN INTELLIGIBLE CONVERSATION

[00:35:02]

ANOTHER QUOTE THAT I CAME ARMED WITH TODAY IS FROM DR. DANIEL AMEN, AND HE IS A PSYCHIATRIST AND BRAIN DISORDER SPECIALIST HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH MANY CLINICS ACROSS THE NATION.

A QUOTE FROM HIM THAT HAS ALSO SPOKE TO ME IS ACCURATE THINKING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN POSITIVE THINKING.

THIS IS A BRAIN SPECIALIST.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE THINK CLEARLY ARTICULATELY THAT WE KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

I WILL TELL YOU TODAY THAT I'M A BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN AND I HAVE A JEWISH MAN LIVING IN MY HEART.

I WILL FIGHT FOR ISRAEL UNTIL MY DEATH.

GOD BLESS YOU.

THANK YOU, JOVANNA ADELSON.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

I STAND BEFORE YOU AS A JEWISH PERSON AND A MEMBER OF JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE.

IT IS MY POSITION AND THAT OF JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE, THAT WE OPPOSE A PROPOSED RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ELON TO ADOPT THE HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AS PUT FORTH BY THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE IRA, WHICH IS PROBLEMATIC AND SHOULD NOT BE ADOPTED FOR MANY REASONS, NOT LEAST OF ALL, BECAUSE IT CONFLATES ANTI-ZIONISM AND ANTISEMITISM.

ANTISEMITISM, TO BE CLEAR, IS DISCRIMINATION, TARGETED VIOLENCE AND DEMON DEHUMANIZING STEREOTYPES DIRECTED AT JEWS BECAUSE OF OUR JEWISH IDENTITY AND IS A GRAVE AND INCREASING THREAT IN THESE UNITED STATES.

ZIONISM, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS A POLITICAL IDEOLOGY THAT ASSERTS THAT JEWS CAN ONLY BE SAVED IN A JEWISH SUPREMACIST NATION, NATION STATE, ISRAEL THAT SUPPRESSES THE RIGHTS OF NON-JEWISH INHABITANTS OF THAT SAME LAND AS AN ANTI-ZIONIST JEW.

I STAND FIRM IN MY BELIEF THAT JUDAISM COMPELS ME AS A JEW TO CRITIQUE ETHNONATIONALISM AND THE ONGOING GENOCIDE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AT THE HANDS OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL.

THE IRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM CONFLATES ANTISEMITISM WITH LEGITIMATE, LEGITIMATE CRITICISM OF THE ISRAELI STATE PRO-ISRAEL LOBBYING GROUPS ARE PUSHING HARD FOR UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITIES, GOVERNMENTS, AND MUNICIPALITIES LIKE THIS ONE, TO ADOPT THE IRA'S DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM IN ORDER TO SUPPRESS THE FREE SPEECH OF THOSE WHO SUPPORT PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS.

THIS SHOULD WORRY ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION SUCH AS THAT ENSHRINED IN THE US BILL OF RIGHTS AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM.

FURTHERMORE, THE IRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH REAL ANTISEMITISM AS IT DISPROPORTIONATELY FOCUSES ON THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND AIMS TO QUELL ANY LEGITIMATE CRIS CRITICISM OF IT.

RATHER THAN ON ANY REAL VIOLENCE PERPETRATED AGAINST JEWS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE NOT IS ISRAELI.

THE IRA'S DEFINITION IS ALSO VAGUE AND CONFUSING AND FAILS TO IDENTIFY ANTISEMITISM AS A FORM OF PREJUDICE OR RACISM, WHICH IT IS.

INSTEAD, IT DESCRIBES ANTISEMITISM AS A CERTAIN PERCEPTION OF JEWS, WHICH MAY BE EXPRESSED AS HATRED.

WHAT EVEN IS THAT TO COMBAT TRUE ANTISEMITISM, WE NEED CLEAR AND STRONG TOOLS.

THE IRA'S DEFINITION IS ANYTHING BUT THAT AND MAKES JEWS AND PALESTINIANS MORE VULNERABLE, NOT LESS SO, AND MAKES JEWS MORE VULNERABLE BY CONFLATING REAL ANTISEMITISM WITH CRITICISM OF ISRAEL.

AND IT MAKES PALESTINIANS MORE VULNERABLE BY THREATENING THEIR VERY LEGITIMATE FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.

IT IS ESSENTIAL THEREFORE TO STOP WEAPONIZING REAL ANTISEMITISM AND THE REPRESSION OF PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY.

WE THEREFORE REQUEST AS MYSELF AND JEWISH WIS FOR PEACE THAT THE REQUE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL REJECT THE I-I-H-R-A DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

SPENCER LEVINE.

HELLO, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME'S SPENCER.

I'M A MEMBER OF JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE.

I AM JEWISH AND A LIFELONG MEMBER OF SAN DIEGO.

UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT GIOVANNA, WHAT JAMAL, WHAT MARIA, WHAT DORIS HAVE SAID PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE IHA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM.

UM, I I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF MINE WITH MY OWN FAMILY AND

[00:40:01]

UM, RIGHT AFTER OCTOBER 7TH HAPPENED, UM, I STARTED POSTING THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA FROM AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, WHICH I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING SINCE I WAS 13 YEARS OLD, AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST, AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, UM, THAT I, I DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE, UH, INDISCRIMINATELY BOMBED BY ISRAEL.

AND MY HALF SISTER MESSAGED BACK THAT SHE WANTED TO, UH, STARVE AND DEHYDRATE EVERYBODY IN GAZA BECAUSE THEY DESERVED IT.

AND I WAS HORRIFIED BY THIS STATEMENT.

I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO STARVE AND DEHYDRATE AN ENTIRE GROUP OF PEOPLE BASED ON THEIR ETHNICITY OR THEIR STATEHOOD.

I THINK THAT'S INCORRECT TO DO.

I THINK THAT'S DISCRIMINATORY.

JUST AS YOU SAID, YOU DON'T WANT DISCRIMINATORY, UH, DISCRIMINATORY THINGS TO BE DONE AGAINST JEWISH PEOPLE.

UM, MONTHS LATER, MY UNCLE WAS SPEAKING OUTSIDE ON THE, THE PHONE WITH AN ACQUAINTANCE OF HIS, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE GENOCIDE HAPPENING, AND HE SAID THE SOLUTION WAS TO KILL EVERYONE IN THE AREA.

AND HE WAS REFERRING TO LEBANESE PEOPLE, PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, SYRIAN PEOPLE.

WAS HE TALKING ABOUT 6 MILLION PEOPLE, 9 MILLION PEOPLE? I DON'T KNOW.

HE WAS, HE WAS BEING EXTREMELY VAGUE.

UM, BUT WHERE, WHERE DID THESE POINT TALKING POINTS COME FROM ABOUT DEHYDRATING PEOPLE, STARVING PEOPLE, UH, BOMBING INDISCRIMINATELY, PEOPLE KILLING EVERY, EVERYBODY IN THE AREA.

THEY COME FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

AND FREE SPEECH IS ABOUT VOICING YOUR OPINION ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT GOVERNMENT POLICY TO BE.

IF YOU ADOPT THIS DEFINITION THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T GO AGAINST ZIONISM IN THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL, YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO VOICE OUR OPINION ABOUT WHAT POLICY SHOULD BE.

AND I, I THINK THAT'S THE WORST THING YOU COULD DO IN THIS COUNTRY TO, UM, TO HONOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

IT, IT, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

JULIANNE GUSTAFSON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO VOICE MY OPINION.

MY NAME IS JULIANNE GUSTAFSON LIRA.

UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, OR WITH HUMAN RIGHTS FOR PROBABLY ABOUT 40 YEARS.

UH, DIFFERENT PEOPLES AT DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL 19 83, 19 84, UH, 19 82, 83, WHEN I PAID ATTENTION TO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TWO VILLAGES IN LEBANON CALLED ILLA.

THAT WAS WHEN WITH THE HELP OF THE UNITED STATES, UH, UH, THE FLANGE IN LEBANESE IN LEBANON AND THE HELP OF THE ISRAELI MILITARY WENT AND, UH, BULLDOZED AND KILLED OVER 1500 PEOPLE THERE.

THAT'S WHEN I STARTED PAYING ATTENTION.

OKAY? UH, SINCE THEN, UH, I HAVE BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY FOR PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS.

IN 2009, I WENT TO GAZA MYSELF TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

I WENT WITH COAT PINK AND WE WERE A DELEGATION OF 50 WOMEN AND ABOUT SEVEN MEN.

AND WHEN I GOT BACK, ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT I WAS AFRAID TO SPEAK.

I COULD NOT SPEAK FOR THREE WEEKS.

PEOPLE WOULD ASK ME, HOW DID IT GO? I COULDN'T TELL THEM I DID NOT SEE BLOOD.

WHAT I SAW WAS WHAT YOU SEE TODAY, IF YOU CARE TO LOOK AT INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, NOT OUR MEDIA, OKAY? NOT CNN FOX NEWS, YOU KNOW, NBC, WHOEVER, NO, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET THAT THERE.

YOU ARE GONNA GET IT WITH INTERNATIONAL MEDIA.

AND THEN YOU SEE THE DESTRUCTION AND ALL OF THE CHILDREN GETTING KILLED, OKAY? SO THAT WHEN I WENT, IT WAS LIKE FIVE WEEKS AFTER THEY HAD GONE THERE, WHILE WE WERE ENJOYING CHRISTMAS AND, AND, UM, NEW YEAR'S, 2008, 2009, THEY KILLED OVER 1500 PEOPLE.

THIS IS A ZIONIST ORGANIZATION NOW TO CONFLATE ANTISEMITISM WITH ANTIS, UH, ZIONISM IS,

[00:45:01]

ZIONISM IS A POLITICAL CONSTRUCT AND WE SHOULD ALL BE AGAINST ANTI-ZIONISM.

SO HOW DARE CAN ANYBODY TELL ME THAT I CANNOT, THAT I CAN DENY WHAT I SAW, WHAT I AM SEEING NOW, WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD IS SEEING ALL THIS, THIS TERRIBLE GENOCIDE.

WE HAVE A PERFECT RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO SAY THANK YOU, MA'AM, THAT WE'RE AGAINST ANTI ZIONISM.

UH, EXCUSE ME, MA'AM.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HAS A QUESTION, A QUESTION FOR YOU.

YES.

UH, WHAT NEWS OUTLET DO YOU RECOMMEND? WHAT DO WE RECOMMEND? NEWS OUTLETS.

I'M SORRY, WHAT NEWS OUTLETS? WELL, UH, YOU CAN TRY DEELA.

YOU CAN TRY, YOU COULD TRY AL JAZEERA.

YOU COULD TRY THE DIFFERENT, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ON, ON, UM, ON YOUTUBE.

YOU COULD TRY.

UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE? IT'S, UH, UH, UH, KATIE HELPING YOU CAN TRY.

UM, WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE? UM, ABOUT BBC.

I'M SORRY.

BBC.

NO, NOT THE B, BC AS WELL.

OKAY.

THEY'RE JUST ANOTHER VOICE OF, OF, OF WHAT WE SEE.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

NEXT SPEAKER IS SUMMER ISMAIL.

GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS SUMMER ISMAIL.

I WORK WITH THE COUNCIL OF AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS AND I REPRESENT MUSLIMS ALL THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, ACTUALLY, I RECOMMEND ALSO READING ISRAELI NEWSPAPERS BECAUSE THEY COVER THINGS A LOT BETTER AND SAY THINGS THAT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

IN FACT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE AWARE THAT THERE ARE SOME BDS LAWS IN STATES LIKE ARKANSAS, WHICH MADE IT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SUPREME COURT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BOYCOTT THE STATE OF ISRAEL IN DIFFERENT STATES IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND OF COURSE, PEOPLE TOOK ISSUE 'CAUSE I CAN BOYCOTT THE UNITED STATES OPENLY, BUT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BOYCOTT ISRAEL IN CERTAIN STATES AND THEY'RE TAKING IT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SUPREME COURT.

AMERICA IS ALL ABOUT FREE SPEECH THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPENLY BOYCOTT THE SAME WAY WHAT AMERICA WAS FOUNDED ON.

NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.

THAT SHOULD BE ALLOWED HERE.

WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPENLY BOYCOTT AND CRITICIZE THINGS LIKE HAS BEEN MENTIONED SO MANY TIMES, ISRAEL IS DEEMED AN ILLEGAL APARTHEID STATE BY MULTIPLE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS.

AND ALSO, I WANTED TO READ AN EXCERPT OF WHAT IS SAID IN THE IRA THINGS IS THAT BY CLAIMING THAT THE EXISTENCE OF A STATE OF ISRAEL IS A RACIST ENDEAVOR IS A FORM OF ANTISEMITISM, ACCORDING TO THE IRA DEFINITION THAT SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED.

I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, BOMBING CHILDREN INDISCRIMINATELY IS RACIST, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ALL ALIGN IN ONE GROUP.

BUT ALSO, I KNOW THAT THIS RESOLUTION WAS PROBABLY WELL INTENDED, MR. WELLS AND I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON CREATING AN ANTISEMITISM RESOLUTION WITH JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS THAT AND ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED BECAUSE OUT OF ALL THE UNIVERSITY MUSLIM UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, WE CONDUCTED A SURVEY AND ONE IN TWO MUSLIM STUDENTS FACE SEVERE ISLAMOPHOBIA ON CAMPUS.

IT'S REAL.

BOTH OF THESE THINGS HAVE HEIGHTENED SINCE OCTOBER.

SO LET'S WORK ON A RESOLUTION THAT ADDRESS BOTH THOSE ISSUES.

I ALSO WANTED TO TALK AS SOMEONE WHO IS VERY ENGAGED IN SAN DIEGO POLITICS, I JUST SAW THAT THERE WAS A $9 MILLION BUDGET CUT TO SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH SLASHES SUMMER SCHOOLS.

AND THAT CONCERNS ME.

I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE.

BUT ON THE SAME TOKEN, WE ARE SENDING ANNUALLY TO ISRAEL $87 MILLION OF OUR TAX DOLLARS.

AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPENLY SPEAK, AND I'M GLAD THAT I HAVE THAT ABILITY HERE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

BUT IN OTHER STATES AND OTHER THINGS, IT COULD BE DEEMED AS ANTISEMITISM.

AND I WORRY FOR THAT.

AND I WOULD LOVE, LOVE, LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS AND REALLY STRIVE TOWARDS MAKING EL CAJON AND UPKEEP THE BEAUTY OF IT AND CELEBRATE ALL PEOPLE AND PROTECT ALL PEOPLE THROUGH A WELL-MEANING, UM, WELL-INTENDED RESOLUTION.

THANK YOU G GUINEVERE JONES.

HI, MY NAME IS G GUINEVERE JONES, AND I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO ON THIS RESOLUTION.

IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO SILENCE,

[00:50:01]

YOU ALL PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SITTING HERE AND TRYING TO CRUSH YOUR FELLOWS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO PROTEST AGAINST SYSTEMATIC AND CALCULATED GENOCIDE OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.

THIS IS A DISGUSTING REVOLUTION IN ORDER TO PERPETUATE A LIE THAT CRITICIZING THE VIOLENT STATE OF ISRAEL IS THE SAME AS CRITICIZING JEWISHNESS.

WE CANNOT SIT BY AND WATCH SUCH BLATANT COOPERATION AND AID OF DHS ICE AND THE POLICE IN CRIMINALIZING PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVISTS DON'T USE ANTISEMITISM AS A VESSEL FOR YOUR HATE FOR MUSLIMS, THE REAL ANTISEMITISM IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE, NOT FROM PRO-PALESTINE ACTIVISTS.

THANK YOU LEON.

THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR WELLS.

IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY.

I AM LI COHEN REESE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE ANTISEMITISM TASK FORCE AT STAND WITH US, A NON-PROFIT, NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATION DEVOTED TO COMBATING ANTISEMITISM AND MISINFORMATION ABOUT ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

I ALSO INVITE YOU ALL TO COME TO ISRAEL.

WE WILL TAKE YOU THERE, PAID ON US TO SEE THE SO-CALLED APARTHEID AND TO SEE FIRSTHAND WHAT ISRAEL IS REALLY LIKE AND HOW INTEGRATED THE PALESTINIANS ARE.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO FIRST NOTE THAT IRA DOES NOT LIMIT FREE SPEECH WHATSOEVER.

YOU ALL HAVE THE LANGUAGE.

YOU SEE IT, IT SAYS THAT CRITICISM OF ISRAEL IS NOT CONSIDERED ANTI-SEMITISM.

SO LET'S STICK TO THE FACTS.

JVP RECENTLY VOICED THEIR GOALS AS A, AT A SENATE JUDICIARY MEETING UNDER THE GUISE OF COMBATING ANTISEMITISM AND PROTECTING FREE SPEECH.

BASICALLY, WHAT THEY REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY IS, I DON'T HATE JEWS, I JUST HATE ISRAEL.

AND TO BLOCK THE IRA DEFINITION THAT EQUATES ANTI-ZIONISM WITH ANTISEMITISM.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT JVP RECENTLY AGREED TO PAY $677,000 TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS PART OF A SETTLEMENT TO RESOLVE ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD RELATED TO THEIR APPLICATION FOR COVID RELIEF FUNDS.

JDP POSITIONS ITSELF AS A JEWISH ORGANIZATION.

THE SURVEYS SHOW THAT APPROXIMATELY 95% OF AMERICAN JEWS CONSIDER ISRAEL AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THEIR JEWISH IDENTITY, INDICATING STRONG SUPPORT FOR ZIONISM.

THIS IS A NON-REPRESENTATIVE SEGMENT OF THE BROADER JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THE US.

IRA CODIFIES THE DEFINITION FOR ANTISEMITISM FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS LIKE YOURSELVES BE ABLE TO BETTER IDENTIFY ANTI-SEMITIC MOTIVES, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, AND UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION.

IT ALSO SERVES TO PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENT WITH A DEFINITION TO TRAIN GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN THE FUTURE ON HOW TO BETTER RESPOND TO ANTI-SEMITIC DISCRIMINATION.

WHY DO WE NEED THIS DEFINITION? NOW? THERE IS AN ANTI-SEMITISM CRISIS SURGING THROUGHOUT AMERICA.

JEWS COMPRISE APPROXIMATELY 2.4% OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION, AND THEY MANAGE TO SUFFER MORE THAN 60% OF RELIGIOUSLY MOTIVATED HATE CRIMES MORE SEVERELY.

IN A RECENT SURVEY, 50% OF AMERICANS DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT ANTISEMITISM WAS.

TODAY WE SEEK TO INCORPORATE THE INTERNATIONAL REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AS ADOPTED IN THE USA.

IT HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY MORE THAN 95% OF ALL MAJOR JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS.

IT'S BEEN ADOPTED BY 1100 ENTITIES WORLDWIDE, 43 COUNTRIES, 37 US STATES, AND ALMOST 100 US CITIES AND EVEN THE GLOBAL IMAMS COUNCIL.

I WANNA THANK THE GREAT CITY OF EL CAJON FOR PREPARING A RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH I AND FOR LEADING THE WAY TO BRING IT TO OTHER CITIES IN OUR GREAT COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO.

THANK YOU RO.

MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US TODAY AND RAISING THIS, UH, PROPOSAL FOR THE RESOLUTION WE HAVE TO, TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN TWO THINGS, FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND SUPPORTING TERRORISM.