Pro-Palestinian Activists Pressure Sacramento to Reject Israeli Sister City…But ‘Bethlehem, Palestine‘ Was OK in ’09
- Posted on August 13, 2012 at 7:12am by
Sharona Schwartz
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Ashkelon, Israel (photo from Wikipedia)
The Sacramento city council meeting this Tuesday night is set to be the scene of a hot debate. That’s when it considers whether to adopt as a “sister city” an Israeli town that’s been victim to numerous terrorist rocket attacks from Gaza. The vote was supposed to be pro forma, until pro-Palestinian activists stepped in and are now pressuring council members to reject adopting Ashkelon. The same activists did not protest the Sacramento council’s decision in 2009 to name “Bethlehem, Palestine” as Sacramento’s ninth sister city.
The protesters are employing the same arguments activists with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign use against Israel, including lobbing the false libel that Israel practices “ethnic cleansing.” Adeeb Alzanoon of the Palestinian American Congress tells The Sacramento Bee that the state capital should not accept Ashkelon, because Palestinians were displaced from there during the 1948 war.
But based on that criteria [that in 1948 Palestinian refugees were displaced as a result of the war during which five Arab armies attacked the fledgling Israeli state], no city in Israel could qualify as a sister city, City Councilman Steve Cohn told The Bee. More disturbingly, their opposition to Ashkelon suggests that, for these protesters, no Israeli state on any land would be acceptable.
Christians United for Israel is asking its members to send an e-mail to urge council members not to cave to the Palestinian pressure. A CUFI spokesman tells TheBlaze that as of Sunday night, nearly 22,000 e-mails were sent. In a letter to members, CUFI’s National Chairman Pastor John Hagee and Executive Director David Brog wrote:
Two years ago, the Sacramento City Council voted unanimously to adopt its ninth Sister City: Bethlehem, Palestine. At the time the resolution was passed the Council also unanimously agreed to adopt a Sister City in Israel sometime in the future. Area leaders have nominated Ashkelon, just north of the Gaza strip, for this honor.
Ashkelon was a wise choice. As a city under constant missile attack from Islamic terrorists in Gaza, Ashkelon symbolizes the challenges currently facing the Jewish state and the pressing need for America to stand with our embattled ally. As the home of the largest regional hospital — which helps both Israelis injured by Gaza’s terrorists and Palestinians from Gaza — this city symbolizes the heart of the Israeli people who are constantly searching for peace and coexistence
Members of the Sacramento City Council are now being inundated with e-mails from across the country asking them to vote against recognizing Ashkelon as a Sister City. This effort appears to be a disturbing new front in the effort to delegitimize Israel in America. If Israel’s enemies succeed in Sacramento, they will no doubt be emboldened to oppose other such resolutions across the country.
An anti-Israel petition to the city council has recruited 555 signatures as of this writing. And the pro-Israel group Stand With Us has a letter writing effort underway asking supporters to “say no to this political prejudice and manipulation.”
The Sacramento Bee editorial board is coming down strongly in favor of adopting the Israeli city, citing “two major problems” with the opponents’ case: that the council committed to finding an Israeli city to adopt after it inducted Bethlehem and that the point of the program is “to get past political differences and build bridges between people.”
The anti-Israel activists’ accusation of racism in Ashkelon is ironic, considering that in the Palestinian Authority – which rules Bethlehem – it is illegal to sell any land to Jews, as TheBlaze has previously reported.
CUFI’s David Brog told the Times of Israel:
“Their lead complaint is that Palestinians who aren’t Israeli citizens need “special permits” to enter Ashkelon. Wow, that sounds terrible. Until you realize that the same applies to Americans and anyone else who’s not an Israeli citizen. In fact, Israelis and Palestinians alike need a special permit to visit Sacramento. It’s called a tourist visa.”
Brog also points to the fact that Sacramento recognized Bethlehem as a sister city despite the fact that the Palestinian Authority doesn’t permit land sales to Jews and has pledged that no Jews will live in a Palestinian state.
“If those opposing the sister city relationship want to find the real practitioners of apartheid, they should look in the mirror,” he said.
Despite the claims of some Palestinians that Ashkelon was originally the Palestinian city “Majdal Asqualan,” The Jewish Press points out that it’s the site of “the most famous haircut in Jewish history – it is where Delilah cut Samson’s hair, depleting his strength, in the famous Biblical story found in Judges XIV-XVI.”
The Sacramento Bee is reporting that some of those protesting the Israeli sister city were also behind the “misguided, ultimately unsuccessful, effort last year to ban Israeli-made products from the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.”
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thebronze
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 11:54pmI hope Israel takes out “Palestine” and soon.
Report Post »dumoudan
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 1:23pmOn May 13, 1948 the so-called ‘palestinians’ were JORDANIANS….however, on May 14, 1948 (a mere 24 hours LATER) suddenly they were ‘palestinians?’ Give me a BREAK! Talk about an ‘invented’ peoples. The illegal occupation of the Jewish homeland by Muslim Arabs must end before peace comes. Those Arab Muslims that occupy the Jewish West Bank must go to Jordan and the Arab Muslim occupiers of Gaza must return to Egypt and only then will there be peace. Inshallah
Report Post »Ramrod64
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 9:32pmhere in houston we have a sister city(sodom).
Report Post »fmadsen
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 12:38pmCalifornia is lost, give it back to Mexico.
Report Post »Listen_then_think
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 11:07amReally? With all that is failing in commiefornia the most important thing they have to do is pick dozens of sister cities half a world away? What does this sister city do or benefit anyone anyway? Pro palestinians are just pro terrorists. Never met a decent palestinian who didn’t argue, start fights, or who wasn’t just ultra confrontational/argumentative over EVERYTHING anyone said. palestinians are TOXIC. The one in my neighborhood is a combative abuser of everyone he meets and I live in rural horse country.
Report Post »Daveed
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 10:15amThe Progressive Liberal Party idealogies have created all these things. These ideologies are a cancer, a disease to the world. This mess in America we now are dealing with was totally preventable, having special interest ethnic entities screaming and suing all the good people of America. The antethiesis of American values, traditions and Christian charity. Barring a French Revolution, the good people of America step up and take your rightful place in our nation, in all our governments, in all our States, Cities and towns. Be a swarm of greatness, led by God‘s laws and lead by God’s laws. Governing fashioned after God’s character. Our nation will find favor with our God and if God is for us, who can be against us? No one, not even beelzebub! So you know not the dark of Progressive-ism.
Report Post »mruggles
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 9:51amIt’s OK, just another sign that Jesus is returning soon. It may not be today…but then again it may.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 9:48amDon‘t you believe for a second that there aren’t good people in Sacramento. My son, retired Marine and many more live there. Only some of the “part-time” government gives it a crummy name a times. Remember, they stood once for Bethlahem, remind them all of us are watching and suporting their efforts to do what is right.
Report Post »bigben357mag
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 9:47amCan we kick Kalifornia out of the Union? We can get all the normal people out, and send all the Maxrists, Communists, and Proggressives there. They can have that cuntry, and we’ll have the rest. Build a wall around it though, I don’t want them runing accross the border in the middle of the night!
Report Post »jeffile
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 11:36amGo ahead and kick us out. We have the 7th largest economy in the world and contribute more to the federal coffers then any other state. You need us. I may end up paying the same taxes but at least it will stay within my state instead of funding the D.C. machine. You sound like a teenager ******* because mom and dad won’t buy you a new car.
Report Post »00gabooga
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 9:39amThis might not be a bad thing. If I lived in Israel I don‘t think I’d want my city to be associated with some cess pool of a town like Sacramento, capitol city of the most horrible state our otherwise blessed nation.
Report Post »Beachbaby
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 8:37amIts time to take foreign haters OUT of America with no free meal ticket back EVER.
Report Post »cucycln
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 8:29amAs person who worked and lived in Sacramento until about 6 months ago, all I can say is I’m embarassed for the residents that live there. Sacramento is leading California into the hole of no return. I’m sorry but happy I left. It is really sad the way it is going. But I can say this has been going on for a long time there….. :-(
Report Post »randy
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 8:21amSURPRISE, SURPRISE
Report Post »An anti-Christian force, Change.org funded by George Soros
Who woulda thunk?
DEMOCRATS.ARE.EVIL
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 8:00amThe tools in Sacramento should be spending their time working for the Americans living within their city limits and forget about illegal Mexican immigrants and the welfare-loving, Palestinian ghetto-dwellers.
Report Post »wjbtms
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 7:57amIf you have read down to my comment and support this issue, please take the time to send the email to the Sacramento city council….they need to understand that we support Ashkelon and Israel…..
Report Post »historyguy48
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 7:32amOh come on now! Those were Israeli rockets dropping into the town, not Arab ones!
Report Post »CAIR will nip this one in the bud!
Especially in the Socialist Workers Republic of California!
dublinthewagons
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 7:52amWhere is a GEAT BIG earthquake when you need it?
Report Post »Ben__Franklin
Posted on August 13, 2012 at 9:56amPlease, No Big Earthquakes. Its just what California is hoping for. Then they can declare a state of emergency and Obama-Mao and his puppets will bail out California from all its debts hidden in the money to help with the disaster relief. It will be their free ride to continue their destructive Progressive Policies.
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