The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the East Palo Alto City Council’s adoption of an antisemitism proclamation incorporating the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, warning the definition has been repeatedly used to suppress constitutionally protected speech.
The proclamation passed 3-2 on May 5, with Mayor Webster Lincoln and Council Members Mark Dinan and Martha Barragan voting in favor. Vice Mayor Ruben Abrica and Council Member Carlos Romero voted against it, both affirming their opposition to antisemitism while citing concerns about the IHRA language.
The city attorney noted at the meeting that while the proclamation does not create enforceable policy now, it could inform future city actions—a distinction CAIR-SFBA said offers little reassurance. CAIR-SFBA wrote to the council before the vote urging it to reject the proclamation.
CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo, who spoke at the meeting, reiterated the organization’s opposition to the flawed IHRA framework.
“The IHRA definition has been criticized by its own drafter for being used to silence protected speech. Across California, we are seeing educators, students, and community members facing punishment for speaking about Palestine, criticizing Israeli government actions, and advocating for human rights.”
The IHRA definition, adopted in 2016, includes examples that critics say conflate political speech about Israel with antisemitism. Though the East Palo Alto proclamation states it does not diminish First Amendment protections, CAIR-SFBA warned that such frameworks shape how complaints are handled, how trainings are conducted, and whose voices are deemed acceptable in public spaces.
“These so-called ‘non-binding’ definitions can quickly influence policy, workplace training, and public discourse,” said Musa Tariq, CAIR-SFBA policy coordinator. “It is possible and necessary to oppose antisemitism, but it must be done without adopting language that marginalizes Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim voices.”
The East Palo Alto vote comes as California Assembly Bill 715, which centers the IHRA definition as its key framework, took effect January 1, 2026. A lawsuit filed in federal court challenging the law warns that teachers cannot know what they may or may not say under it and will self-censor to avoid professional repercussions. CAIR-SFBA warned that local adoption of the IHRA definition risks accelerating that pattern at the municipal level.
CAIR-SFBA urged city leaders to revisit the language and work with a broad coalition of community stakeholders to adopt approaches that address antisemitism without compromising civil liberties.
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
END
CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, ladam@cair.com