Darrell Steinberg , Shoab Siddique
Fri, December 22, 2023
Opinion
Renée C. Byer/rbyer@sacbee.com
Nothing we say or do in Sacramento may change the course of the war for Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. But there are other compelling reasons for our Muslim and Jewish communities to speak out together.
Many things make Sacramento such a special place to live, but none are more important than the way we treat each other. In good times and in bad, through both times of celebration and in light of despicable hate crimes, the region’s diverse communities — including Jewish and Muslim individuals — have stood shoulder to shoulder. We are friends and have always sought to model love, inclusion and support as the world grows darker.
Opinion
That history is now threatened by obvious community divisions that have arisen since October 7.
Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on the rise
Many in the Jewish community see the terrible rise in anti-Semitism, including on college campuses, and the refusal of leaders from diverse groups to condemn anti-Semitism without qualifications as a shocking reminder of historic reality. The Holocaust happened in the modern 20th Century, and the world’s oldest prejudice never goes away. Israel remains the hope that Jews can live safely and freely and never again face threats to our very existence.
Many in the Jewish community are rightfully offended by the spoken views of some Muslim American and progressive leaders who have said that while the deaths of innocent Israelis is unfortunate, the plight of Palestinians justifies the October 7th massacre. That implicit and sometimes explicit justification stokes the community’s central fear that Jewish lives are easily expendable. But there is no moral justification for Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7.
The Muslim American community understandably fears the terrible rise of Islamophobia. Recent heinous acts of Islamophobia — including the murder of a six-year-old Muslim American boy in Illinois in October and the shooting of three Palestinian American college students speaking Arabic in Vermont just last month — shocked our collective conscience.
Divided opinions on Israel
Americans of diverse backgrounds look at the massive growth of West Bank settlements, Israel’s right-wing government and its clear policy to control and subjugate Palestinians in the West Bank and ask: “Where are the voices from the Jewish community and supporters of Israel to condemn and call out these policies?” There can never be a two-state solution so long as settlers guided by religious zealotry govern Israel.
And of course, many ask: “Why can’t Israel deal with Hamas without the massive loss of innocent lives, including children in Gaza?” It’s a right and fair question.
Some advocates in our country, Including in Sacramento, have attempted to put forth resolutions which call for a ceasefire and articulate basic human values — that the deaths of all innocents are not only tragic, but wrong. That universal sentiment is laudable, but not enough to reduce divisions as both sides have strong convictions about whose version of history is most correct and who is most responsible for the suffering of so many on both sides.
No matter one’s position, a candid sharing of views can be perilous. Reaching out and acknowledging the other side’s history can result in your own family, religious faith and political and community allies harshly criticizing you for not standing strong for your side.
There are multiple perspectives. No matter the cost, we must try harder to both educate and advocate for our own beliefs and acknowledge that there is also genuine truth on the other side.
What is wrong always is wrong. We can’t pick and choose when it is convenient for us to speak up.
Support a ceasefire and two-state solution
Our community can once again model a different way by intentionally working harder to see the complexity of the situation and saying out loud what many believe but are unwilling to say.
The conventional wisdom says the way to bridge the divide in our communities is to avoid complicated politics and, instead, focus only on our common humanity. If only it were that simple. In truth, we cannot avoid politics and questions of leadership when the failure of leadership leads to the very results that divide us.
This conflict will not be resolved militarily. It will be resolved politically when wise, courageous and visionary leaders on both sides replace backwards thinking leaders in charge today. May that happen sooner rather than later for the sake of many innocent civilian lives on both sides.
So long as Hamas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remain in power, there is no chance for a real peace, a long-term mutual ceasefire and a two-state solution. Hamas has never represented the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians. Who builds underground tunnels to hide and protect themselves while exposing its people to poverty and a predictable response to the killing of 1,200 innocent people? Israel and its supporters have rightfully maintained that even if there were a possibility for peace, there has never been a willing partner on the Palestinian side.
Israel is a democracy, but Netanyahu and his extreme government have done everything to stand in the way of the possibility of peace. The intentional expansion of settlements in the name of religion, galling attempts to weaken Israel’s judiciary in order to enable more settlements and the usurpation of the rights of Arabs, Palestinians and even reform Jews is antithetical to both peace and religious and ethical values. The doom cycle only embitters new generations of Palestinians — the very generations Israel needs to make peace with.
Israel has no true future as a Jewish state unless it ultimately finds a peaceful resolution with its Palestinian neighbors.
All Palestinian and all Jewish lives matter. We have the chance to create a different conversation in our communities and our campuses, and we must promote a new set of principles that turns adversaries into allies.
Imagine a unified message in 2024 that asserts something different than the current divisive argument and points. Let us start with a universal call for new leadership on both sides dedicated to peace, security and justice for Israelis and Palestinians. Let us demand that the world help rebuild Gaza without Hamas and with an Israeli government that recommits to two states and an end to settlements.
Let us also insist on a new American compact — especially on college campuses — that both respects free speech and uses the same principles to strongly and consistently condemn anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Let’s uplift and seek to unify Jewish and Muslim students against threats posed by prejudice and hate.
A more united Sacramento
Here in our community, we must embrace one another. In 1999, when two white supremacists firebombed three Jewish synagogues in Sacramento and then murdered a prominent gay couple in their Redding home in a violent and despicable act of homophobia, the community stood together against hate. When our Muslim brothers and sisters were targeted after 9/11, the community stood together as well. Our community has never wavered from our fundamental belief that we far outnumber those who seek to spread hate and divide us. We will always defeat these divisive beliefs when we speak up, stand together and speak out.
“We are not enemies, but friends,” President Abraham Lincoln famously said. “We must not be enemies.”
Let’s do our part in California’s capital city to tell the truth, heal our wounds and change our own community conversation toward a lasting peace.
In the end, the only choice for Israelis and Palestinians is to wage peace, not war. That can only be done if both sides reeducate themselves to negotiating a two-state solution, in which Israel and Palestine live side by-side in peace and security.
Darrell Steinberg is the mayor of Sacramento. Shoab Siddique is a local physician and a current board member of the Sacramento Council of American Islamic Relations. His opinion is his own.
Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN
Thu, December 21, 2023
Cristina Matuozzi/Sipa USA
Starbucks chief executive Laxman Narasimhan on Tuesday said people protesting the company and disrupting its stores over the Israel-Hamas war were being misled by false information spread online about the company’s positions.
“We see protestors influenced by misrepresentation on social media of what we stand for,” Narasimhan said in a letter to Starbucks employees and customers.
“Cities around the world – including here in North America – have seen escalating protests. Many of our stores have experienced incidents of vandalism,” he said. “We have worked with local authorities to ensure our partners and customers are safe.”
The letter is a way of attempting to untangle Starbucks from controversies related to the war. Starbucks has also tried to distance itself from pro-Palestine positions taken by Starbucks Workers United, a union for Starbucks workers, that have angered some pro-Israel supporters.
At the same time, it is facing softer holiday sales, according to analyst estimates. Its stock suffered the longest drop in its history, a 12-day slide ending earlier this month. Starbucks is also fighting off union pressure over pay and working conditions and accusations of illegal anti-union tactics.
The coffee company said some of the protests related to the war in Gaza resulted directly from the union’s comments. More than 350 of the company’s roughly 9,300 corporate-owned stores in the United States are unionized.
Shortly after Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel, the union, Starbucks Workers United, posted “Solidarity with Palestine” on social media platform X. Below the image was an image of a bulldozer operated by Hamas tearing down a fence on the Gaza strip during the attacks against Israel, according to some news organizations that saw the post.
The tweet was not authorized by the union or its workers, and the union’s account quickly deleted the tweet — but it sparked some calls for a boycott of Starbucks on social media by pro-Israel supporters.
Starbucks said some of the protests related to the war in Gaza resulted directly from the union’s comments. More than 350 of the company’s roughly 9,300 corporate-owned stores in the United States are unionized.
Starbucks distanced itself from the tweet.
“We unequivocally condemn these acts of terrorism, hate and violence, and disagree with the statements and views expressed by Workers United and its members,” Starbucks said in a post. “Workers United’s words and actions belong to them, and them alone,” the company added.
Starbucks also filed a lawsuit against the union, alleging trademark infringement and demanding the union stop using its name and logos. The association with the union was damaging its reputation and putting its workers in harm’s way, Starbucks said.
The union filed a counter lawsuit in October, claiming Starbucks falsely attacked the union’s reputation.
“The company’s statements are a transparent effort to bolster its illegal anti-union campaign by falsely attacking the union’s reputation with workers and the public,” the suit alleged.
The union endorsed a statement from Jewish Voice for Peace in October condemning Hamas’ attacks on Israel and calling for “people of conscience to stop the imminent genocide of Palestinians.”
Dustin Racioppi
Fri, December 22, 2023
Last time Rep. Bill Pascrell faced a serious primary challenge, he ended up winning by a 20-point margin after the Arab American community rallied in support of the New Jersey Democrat. Now that same constituency is turning against him, posing a major threat to the 14-term House member over his stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
Arab Americans protested outside his district office in Paterson, home to Little Ramallah, the largest Palestinian American enclave in the country. They’ve held press conferences demanding a cease-fire and, last week, interrupted a fundraiser to confront him over his pro-Israel position. Most consequentially, some Arab Americans plan to mobilize against the 86-year-old when he seeks reelection next year.
Former supporters now call him a “charlatan” and a “mouthpiece for the dehumanization of Palestinian people.” They say Pascrell’s seeming indifference to their concerns over Israel’s offensive in Gaza and his refusal to back a cease-fire has led them to consider backing Democratic challengers in June — including a former aide.
“You can’t call yourself a friend of the community and then turn your back on them,” said Feras Awwad, a local school board member in the city of Clifton whose grandparents hail from Ein Karem, a village outside Jerusalem. “There’s not a chance in hell anybody’s going to be supporting him.”
The rising tension in Pascrell’s 9th congressional district is a striking reflection of the broader fault lines running through the national Democratic party following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Federal lawmakers have strongly backed Israel’s right to defend itself but, after two months of Israel pummeling Gaza, killing about 20,000 people, they’ve faced increasing pressure from the left to push for an end to the offensive.
One of the biggest names to join calls for a cease-fire is Rep. Katie Porter, a California Democrat running for that state’s open Senate seat in 2024. But the vast majority of Democrats in Washington take the same view Pascrell expressed at a fundraiser Monday in Paterson.
“I can’t control the politics of Israel,” he said, according to a video of his remarks obtained by POLITICO. “But they have every right to protect themselves and defend themselves. Case closed.”
While Arab Americans are an important constituency for Pascrell, they make up a relatively small bloc in a district that includes two dozen towns in heavily Jewish Bergen County. That’s made it impossible for the representative to please the entire Democratic base.
Pascrell has tried since the Oct. 7 attacks to tread a fine rhetorical line. He backed a “humanitarian pause” and pushed for more aid into Gaza, but, like most House members, did not sign onto a resolution calling for a cease-fire (his Democratic colleagues Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman and Donald Payne Jr. were the only lawmakers from New Jersey to do so).
In public statements and in letters to the White House, Pascrell has pushed for the release of hostages and advocated for “good faith efforts” between Palestinians and Israelis to reach a two-state solution. Until then, he said that “restraint to protect innocent civilian lives” is the most prudent path forward.
“I hear and feel powerfully the anguish of our community and like millions of Americans I desperately want a permanent end to the fighting as soon as possible and a major flow of humanitarian aid provided by America to protect Palestinians and begin the rebuilding of Gaza,” Pascrell said in a statement to POLITICO.
Some of his constituents don’t accept his public statements as enough. Since the start of the war, members of the Arab American community have met with Pascrell and other federal and state leaders, including Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Sen. Cory Booker and Gov. Phil Murphy, expressing their concerns and pressing them to support a cease-fire. But some residents and leaders said they don’t feel Pascrell has been receptive and have made it clear to him that he is no longer welcome in their mosques, businesses and homes given his unwavering support for Israel.
“He’s been somebody who in past years had been engaged in the community,” said Ahmet Akdag, a resident of Clifton who is both Turkish and Muslim. “We just don’t feel like he’s been reciprocating as we had hoped and what we had expected.”
A native of Paterson who served as its mayor and in the New Jersey Legislature before his 1996 election to the House, Pascrell is one of New Jersey’s more colorful political figures. He is well known for speaking passionately with a North Jersey accent — and at considerable length — when given the opportunity, whether it’s on the House floor or at a local press conference.
His style and stances have endeared him in the past to the Arab American community. Other Muslim leaders said Pascrell had been much more responsive to them in the past, particularly in 2012, when he was forced into a Democratic primary in the newly redrawn 9th district against incumbent Rep. Steve Rothman. Pascrell, who was then representing the 8th district, was seen within the Arab American community as a strong alternative to the Jewish, staunchly pro-Israel Rothman.
Salaheddin Mustafa, who helped lead the grassroots Muslim effort to make Pascrell the Democratic nominee in 2012, recalls inviting Pascrell to an office on nearby Route 46 to fill him in on their plans to organize support by going town by town in the new district.
“We led, he followed,” said Mustafa, who is also outreach director for the Islamic Center of Passaic County.
Pascrell trounced Rothman in the primary, capturing 61 percent of the vote. The Record newspaper reported that year that Pascrell won 90 percent of the vote in the new district’s six Passaic County towns — including Paterson, which has the second largest Arab American community in the country, according to the city.
But that level of support seems unattainable following Israel’s invasion of Gaza and a death toll that hits close to home. More than 1,000 Palestinians with relatives in North Jersey have been killed in the conflict, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ New Jersey chapter. The council’s vice chair, Ali Aljarrah, was one of the protesters at the fundraiser. He said Pascrell’s response since Oct. 7 contrasts with the person the Arab American community helped reelect.
“He was the guy. He was essentially like our T.E. Lawrence in Congress,” he said, referring to the British diplomat known as Lawrence of Arabia. “That’s why Arabs got involved. They saw Steve Rothman in 2012 as this pro-Zionist candidate, and you have a lot of Arabs who live in the district who just did not want someone who would toe the party line. …. That’s why they went out and got Pascrell elected.”
Now, he said, Pascrell is the one toeing the party line.
Muslim residents say they may have found someone more aligned with them in Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, a former Pascrell communications assistant. Sayegh is of Syrian and Lebanese descent, speaks Arabic and has been among the few politicians in New Jersey to vocally back a cease-fire. He declined to comment on speculation he will run for Pascrell’s seat. But he told the Paterson Press, after it reported his recent political donations to organizations in Bergen and Hudson county towns that make up the 9th district, that "if you have ambition and ability, you shouldn't restrict your opportunities."
Any challenger would face difficulties against Pascrell. He has strong organizational support and, despite its large Arab population, the 9th district is also dominated by heavily Jewish towns in neighboring Bergen County. But the frustrations and disappointments with Pascrell extend beyond the Arab American community to younger, more liberal and even some Jewish voters in the district, Mustafa said. The goal is to build a political infrastructure for the long term “so that our community doesn’t have to deal with charlatans like Congressman Pascrell,” he said.
“It’s not the community that he knew on October 6,” Mustafa said. “It’s a much more unified community. It’s a much more demanding community. It's a community that’s not going to allow people like Pascrell to use us for his own personal gain and abandon us like he’s doing now.”
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