Joint Statement by the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, Jewish Voice for Peace-Bay Area, and CAIR-SFBA
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is threatening to veto last week’s Gaza ceasefire resolution. Despite overwhelming public support for the resolution, Breed claimed the resolution did not “reflect San Francisco’s values” and threatened to veto the resolution. Breed’s comments run the risk of being out of step with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the democratic process in San Francisco, and the majority of public opinion on the ceasefire, including the thousands of San Francisco residents who supported the resolution over the past few months. Many are questioning why Breed is threatening a veto on the ceasefire resolution when she has so rarely used her veto power during her tenure.
“Mayor Breed’s comments do a disservice to the hundreds of Jewish community members who came out in support of a ceasefire and the thousands who submitted emails to their supervisors,” said Elliot Helmon of Jewish Voice for Peace, SF Bay Area. “The Jewish community mobilized in the thousands to urge our supervisors to vote yes on a ceasefire and on a resolution that honored the humanity of all people. Instead of aligning herself with the position of a right-wing Israeli government, we hope that the mayor will work with the voters of San Francisco and Board of Supervisors who fundamentally want to stop the killing of Palestinian families.”
Many are concerned about Breed prioritizing the interests of the far-right Israeli government over calls for human rights and peace made by the vast majority of San Francisco residents. Breed admitted that “she was moved to condemn the supervisors’ resolution” following requests in communication with Israeli politicians.
“What does it say about the state of San Francisco politics when an elected official takes policy action to undermine her constituents at the request of foreign governments?” asks Lara Kiswani, Executive Director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center. “A veto will only move to divide us further and cause more harm. Mayor Breed has the opportunity to stand with her constituents who have united across political divides and across all walks of life around shared humanitarian values. The Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian communities are grieving tremendous loss and a shocking rise in anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia, and we have simply called for an end to war and an end to the carnage in Gaza. It is our shared values against violence, hate, and racism that represent San Francisco. We hope the Mayor stands with her constituents, and we thank the members of the Board of Supervisors who honored the calls of their communities and voted yes on this resolution.”
The resolution, passed by a Board of Supervisors super majority on Jan. 9, drew what District 11 Board Supervisor Ahsha Safai described as “unprecedented” public support, with over 65,000 emails sent to the Board in support of the resolution, thousands of residents turning out to city hall, and over 12 hours of public comment in support of the resolution.
“We urge Mayor Breed to heed the call of San Francisco voters and people of conscience around the world,” adds Zahra Billoo, CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Executive Director. “A supermajority of the Board of Supervisors understood this was a moment of unity across demographic lines in the city and appreciated that it was necessary for San Francisco to acknowledge the unrelenting calls for a ceasefire as the genocide in Gaza continues. Mayor Breed has an opportunity to demonstrate moral leadership, and it is imperative that she does.”
District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen celebrated the resolution on its passing, declaring, “We’re still San Francisco.” District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai highlighted the resolution as the Arab and Muslim community “finally having a voice” in San Francisco. Research indicates a 172% increase in Islamophobic and anti-Arab attacks in the United States over the last four months.
Around 30,000 Palestinians, including over 9,000 children, have been killed by Israel’s bombing campaigns in Gaza, and famine and disease have taken root in Gaza. Palestinian residents in San Francisco have lost thousands of family members in Gaza and the West Bank over the past 100 days. Recent polling indicates Americans overwhelmingly favor a ceasefire in the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Senior Communications Coordinator Lorrie Adam, ladam@cair.com, 408.986.9874