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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-02-18 Human Relations Commission Agenda Packet 1 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org. HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION Special Meeting Tuesday, February 18, 2025 Council Chambers & Hybrid 6:00 PM Human Relations Commission meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to attend by teleconference/video conference or in person. To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can choose to participate from home or attend in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in the meeting is located at the end of the agenda. Masks are strongly encouraged if attending in person. The meeting will be broadcast on Cable TV Channel 26, live on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto, and streamed to Midpen Media Center https://midpenmedia.org. Commissioner names, biographies, and archived agendas and reports are available at https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/City-Hall/Boards-Commissions/Human- Relations-Commission. VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/91994548701) Meeting ID: 919 9454 8701 Phone: 1(669)900-6833 PUBLIC COMMENTS Public comments will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to three minutes or an amount of time determined by the Chair. All requests to speak will be taken until 5 minutes after the staff’s presentation. Written public comments can be submitted in advance to HRC@cityofpaloalto.org and will be provided to the Council and available for inspection on the City’s website. Please clearly indicate which agenda item you are referencing in your subject line. PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted only by email to HRC@cityofpaloalto.org at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Once received, the Clerk will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. To uphold strong cybersecurity management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storage devices are not accepted. Signs and symbolic materials less than 2 feet by 3 feet are permitted provided that: (1) sticks, posts, poles or similar/other type of handle objects are strictly prohibited; (2) the items do not create a facility, fire, or safety hazard; and (3) persons with such items remain seated when  1 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org.   1 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org. displaying them and must not raise the items above shoulder level, obstruct the view or passage of other attendees, or otherwise disturb the business of the meeting.  2 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org.   2 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL PUBLIC COMMENT Members of the public may speak to any item NOT on the agenda. AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS The Chair or Commission majority may modify the agenda order to improve meeting management. APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 9, 2025 BUSINESS ITEMS 1. Consideration of HRC support of Palo Alto Annual Community Ramadan Iftar dinner. - Stimmler – Action – 15 minutes 2. Consideration of Updates to the 2024/25 HRC Workplan. – Stimmler and Kraus – Action – 90 minutes CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS Members of the public may not speak to the item(s) Commissioner Reports Council Liaison Report Staff Liaison Report COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR FUTURE MEETINGS AND AGENDAS Members of the public may not speak to the item(s) ADJOURNMENT PUBLIC DOCUMENTS Public Letters  3 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org.   3 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org. PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email, teleconference, or by phone. Written public comments may be submitted by email to hrc@cityofpaloalto.org. Spoken public comments using a computer will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link below to access a Zoom-based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully. You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in- browser. If using your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30 , Firefox 27 , Microsoft Edge 12 , Safari 7 . Certain functionality may be disabled in older browsers including Internet Explorer. You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak. When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments. Spoken public comments using a smart phone will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Council, download the Zoom application onto your phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter the Meeting ID below. Please follow the instructions B-E above. Spoken public comments using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted. CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 919 9454 8701 Phone:1-669-900-6833 Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at (650) 329-2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. Requests for assistance or accommodations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, program, or service.  4 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org.   3 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org. Attachments not included. Attachments cannot be added to a DOCX compile.  5 Special Meeting February 18, 2025 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at www.CityofPaloAlto.org.   ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with government code section 54954.2(a) or section 54956. Members of the public are welcome to attend this public meeting. DRAFT HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ACTION MINUTES Thursday, January 9, 2025 6:00 PM Commissioners Present: Barr, Causey, Eberle, Hsieh Kraus, Smith, Stimmler Absent: none Council Liaison: Council Member Julie Lythcott-Haims Staff: Minka Van Der Zwaag, Alayna Cruz I) ROLL CALL II) PUBLIC COMMENT III) AGENDA CHANGES, REQUESTS, DELETIONS IV) APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 9, 2025 MOTION: Commissioner Kraus moved, seconded by Commissioner Stimmler, to approve the minutes of November 14, 2024. MOTION PASSED: 7-0 V) BUSINESS ITEMS 1. Election of Human Relations Chair and Vice Chair. - Staff – Action NOMINATIONS: Commissioner Smith nominated Commissioner Stimmler for the Chair for a term ending in January 2026. Commissioner Kraus nominated Commissioner Eberle for the Chair for a term ending in January 2026. Commissioner Stimmler accepted the nomination. Commissioner Eberle declined the nomination. NOMINATION FOR COMMISSIONER Stimmler: PASSED 5-1-1 (Barr no; Kraus abstain) NOMINATIONS: Commissioner Stimmler nominated Commissioner Causey for the Vice Chair for a term ending in January 2026. Commissioners Hsieh and Eberle nominated Commissioner Kraus for the Vice Chair for a term ending in January 2026. Commissioners Causey and Kraus accepted the nominations. NOMINATION FOR COMMISSIONER Causey: FAILED 3-3-1 (Eberle, Hsieh, Kraus no; Barr abstain) NOMINATION FOR COMMISSIONER Kraus: PASSED 5-2 (Causey and Smith no) {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 6     ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn about the City's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact 650-329-2550 (voice), or e-mail ada@cityofpaloalto.org . This agenda is posted in accordance with government code section 54954.2(a) or section 54956. Members of the public are welcome to attend this public meeting. 2. Presentation and feedback sought on draft Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan. - Staff – Discussion 3. Report from adhoc subcommittees on next steps identified for items listed on the FY2024- 25 HRC Workplan. - Chair - Action NO ACTION TAKEN VI) REPORTS FROM OFFICIALS VII) ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 7     u Board/Commission Name 2024-2025 Workplan Staff Liaison: Minka van der Zwaag, Human Services Manager Lead Department: Community Services About the Commission This workplan covers portions of Fiscal Year 2024 and 2025 (May 2024 – April 2025) for the Human Relations Commission (HRC). The Commission is composed of 7 members who are residents of Palo Alto. Terms are for 3 years. See Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Sections 2.16 and 2.22. For more information about the HRC please visit our webpage at http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/boards/hrc Current Commissioners • Adriana Eberle (Chair) • Michelle Kraus (Vice Chair) • Don Barr • Katie Causey • Amy Hsieh • Mary Kate Stimmler • Kaloma Smith Mission Statement HRC Mission: To promote the just and fair treatment of all people in Palo Alto, particularly our most vulnerable populations. By promoting awareness of issues and enabling conversations that enhance inclusion, the HRC strives to create a community where civility, respect and responsible actions are the norm. HRC Jurisdiction: Muni Code 2.22.050 (a) The Human Relations Commission has the discretion to act with respect to any human relations matter when the commission finds that any person or group does not benefit fully from public or private opportunities or resources in the community or is unfairly or differently treated due to factors of concern to the commission. (1) Public or private opportunities or resources in the community include, but are not limited to, those associated with ownership and rental of housing, employment, education and governmental services and benefits. (2) Factors of concern to the commission include, but are not limited to, socioeconomic class or status, physical condition or handicap, married or unmarried state, emotional condition, intellectual ability, age, sex, sexual preference, gender identity, race, cultural characteristics, ethnic background, ancestry, citizenship, and religious, conscientious or philosophical belief. (b) The commission shall conduct such studies and undertake such responsibilities as the council may direct. 2     Packet Pg. 8     Prior Year Accomplishments Goal #1 – Core Responsibilities: Reviewed and made funding recommendations to Council for 22 two-year Human Services Resource Allocation Process (HSRAP) grants totaling $896,035 to fund critical needs in the community for FY 2024-25 (March and April 2023). A subcommittee of HRC commissioners and city staff served as the review committee for the Emerging Needs Fund. In 2023, a total of 6 grants totaling $44,000 was approved (January, March, June, September 2023). Reviewed and made funding recommendations to the Finance Committee for 9 grants totaling $488,000 as part of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding program for Fiscal Year 2023-24 (February 2023). Goal #2 – Inclusion & Belonging: Conducted a survey of the lived experience of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community members in Palo Alto in response to the Council’s referral to research the lived experience of AANHPI communities (April 2023). Approved motion to forward the AANHPI survey results and a report to City Council (March 2024). Approval of HRC support of Multi Faith Peace Picnic and Prayer Services on September 11, 2023, on King Plaza (August 2023). Conducted a community listening session on Local Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab Experiences in the Face of Rising Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate (December 2023). Conducted a community listening session on Local Jewish Experiences in the Face of Rising Antisemitism (January 2024). Goal #3 - Public Safety: Approved recommendations to City Council for actions based on the recommendations made by the public at the Community Listening Sessions on local experiences of Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism (March 2024). Goal #4 – Climate Change: Presentation of the draft Frontline Communities Report, a report on the impact of climate on vulnerable communities in Palo Alto, by the Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition (August 2023). Goal #5 – Learning Sessions: Hosted an Older Adults Learning Series: Presentation of the results from the Avenidas’ Community Assessment Survey of Older Adults (CASOA) by the Avenidas CEO. (September 2023). Presentations by Alta Housing, La Comida, Lytton Gardens, Oshman Jewish Community Center, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Social Services Agency of Santa Clara County (October 2023). Goal #6 - Emerging Needs: Additional recommendations passed in response to the City Council referral to the Commission on ways to improve implementation of current City renter protections (February and April 2023). Conducted a public hearing on the Recommendation of the Adoption of a Draft Ordinance Amending Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) to Add Rental Registry Program (RRP) Ordinance. Approved to accept the basic framework of the RRP as presented by staff with outstanding issues needing to be addressed (May 2023). 2     Packet Pg. 9     PROJECT/GOAL 1: Core Responsibilities Funding Programs - Human Services Resource Allocation Process (HSRAP), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emerging Needs Fund. Continue to review and give input to funding decisions. Priority during this workplan cycle includes assisting staff with the HSRAP application process for the FY26 funding cycle and reviewing the Human Needs Assessment prepared by RDA Consulting. The Needs Assessment assess the current human service needs of the Palo Alto community, the role of the program, the goals of the program, and how program impact is measured. BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES NEEDED MEASURE OF SUCCESS STATE MANDATED / LOCAL LAW / COUNCIL-APPROVED The funding programs provide human services organizations with essential monetary support to serve vulnerable and underserved residents of Palo Alto. Ongoing Adhoc HRC subcommittee and staff time for the funding decisions. Moderate level of staff and adhoc subcommittee time. Results of Human Services Needs Assessment will provide the HRC, staff and Council with updated and vital information on current human needs in the community, concrete suggestions for changes/additions to the HSRAP priority of needs, application and/or review process, and increased ways in which to measure the effectiveness of the City’s funding investment in Human Services organizations. N/A HIGH PRIORITY LOWER PRIORITY COUNCIL-DIRECTED POLICY UPDATE Continue to provide funding recommendations for HSRAP, CDBG and the Emerging Needs Fund as needed. N/A PROJECT/GOAL 2: Inclusion and Belonging (I&B) Inclusion & Belonging - Explore ways in which the Commission can continue to positively affect the sense of inclusion and belonging in the community. Projects include: • Conduct Listening Session with local faith leaders to better understand their needs and the communities they serve. • Revisit issues raised and recommendations from panelists at the 2023 Senior Learning Sessions and identify next steps. • Continue the work done to create connections and learn about the lived experiences of community members, such as the AANHPI, MENA, and Jewish communities. BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES NEEDED MEASURE OF SUCCESS STATE MANDATED / LOCAL LAW / COUNCIL-APPROVED All individuals who live, work or worship in Palo Alto have the right to feel included and valued as members of the community. Summer-Fall 2024 Adhoc HRC subcommittee and staff time Moderate level of staff and adhoc subcommittee time. N/A HIGH PRIORITY LOWER PRIORITY COUNCIL-DIRECTED POLICY UPDATE Conduct Listening Session with local faith leaders to better understand their needs and the communities they serve. Revisit issues raised and recommendations from panelists at the 2023 Senior Learning Sessions and identify next steps. Continue the work done to create connections and learn about the lived experiences of community members, such as the AANHPI, MENA, and Jewish communities. N/A 2     Packet Pg. 10     PROJECT/GOAL 3: Public Safety (PS) Public Safety - Explore and implement avenues to decrease incidences of crimes in the community. • Convene a community meeting in 2024 to discuss hate crimes with representatives of law enforcement, city leadership, and experts in the field. BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES NEEDED MEASURE OF SUCCESS STATE MANDATED / LOCAL LAW / COUNCIL-APPROVED All individuals who live, work or worship in Palo Alto have the right to do so without fear of verbal or physical abuse or attack. Summer-Fall 2024 Adhoc subcommittee and staff time. Space and marketing for educational programming. Moderate level of staff and adhoc subcommittee time. Measures may include: How many people attend educational programming, specific actions taken by members of the public to combat hate crimes, and the increased reporting of hate crimes. N/A HIGH PRIORITY LOWER PRIORITY COUNCIL-DIRECTED POLICY UPDATE Convene a community meeting in 2024 to discuss hate crimes with representatives of law enforcement, city leadership, and experts in the field. N/A PROJECT/GOAL 4: Public Health (PH) Public Health – Support current efforts to address youth mental health issues in the community. • Request that a member of the HRC serve on the Mayor’s mental health task force and/or explore ways in which the HRC can partner with high school groups working on mental health issues. BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES NEEDED MEASURE OF SUCCESS STATE MANDATED / LOCAL LAW / COUNCIL-APPROVED Goal coincides with the Council Goal of “Community Health, Safety, Wellness & Belonging” Member of HRC serves on Mayor’s Task force and provides updates to the full commission that may lead to other actions by the Commission. Low Level of Staff time N/A HIGH PRIORITY LOWER PRIORITY COUNCIL-DIRECTED POLICY UPDATE As the Mayor’s Youth Mental Health Task Force has already been meeting, it is a high priority to request participations by a member of the HRC. N/A 2     Packet Pg. 11     PROJECT/GOAL 5: Housing, Economic Justice and Development (HEJD) Housing, Economic Justice and Development - • Identify ways in which HRC can provide assistance to support programs for unhoused community members (including RV dwellers). BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES NEEDED MEASURE OF SUCCESS STATE MANDATED / LOCAL LAW / COUNCIL-APPROVED Providing active HRC participation in actions to positively affect the lives of unhoused members of the community. During the term covered by this workplan Staff and HRC commissioner time Lower level of staff and adhoc subcommittee time. N/A HIGH PRIORITY LOWER PRIORITY COUNCIL-DIRECTED POLICY UPDATE Continued participation by HRC members on a local RV Dweller concerns committee, especially in light of looking for solutions to the loss of parking on El Camino Real and it’s affect on RV dwellers. Other items to be determined during the year. N/A PROJECT/GOAL 6: Climate Change (CC) Climate Change - Explore ways in which climate change may disproportionately affect specific populations in the community. • Engage with the Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition and the newly formed Youth Advisory Board (a formal City advisory board). BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES NEEDED MEASURE OF SUCCESS STATE MANDATED / LOCAL LAW / COUNCIL-APPROVED Climate change is a priority for the State of California and the City of Palo Alto. Climate awareness and changes in habits help everyone thrive and special attention should be paid to vulnerable populations. Summer-Fall 2024 Yet to be determined based on outcome of Learning Sessions listed under Goal #7. Adhoc subcommittee and staff time. N/A HIGH PRIORITY LOWER PRIORITY COUNCIL-DIRECTED POLICY UPDATE Determine possible roll for a representative of the HRC to play with the newly formed Youth Advisory Board (a formal City advisory board). N/A 2     Packet Pg. 12     PROJECT/GOAL 7: Learning Sessions Learning Sessions - Engage in learning sessions to gain more understanding on the following topics before proceeding with any HRC action: • Research and identify housing programs that could best address equity and access needs in the community (cross sectional senior, families, low income.) (HEJD) • Availability and affordability of child care programs in the community (HEJD) • Explore ways in which Utility costs affect low-income members of the community and current city programs/services that provide assistance. (HEJD) • Research and identify housing programs that could best address equity and access needs in the community (cross sectional senior, families, low income.) (HEJD) • Better understand the demographics of city staff and commission to understand if there are underrepresented groups. (I&B) • Better understanding of the City’s “Safe Streets for All” safety action plan (PH) • Examine the post COVID impact on the community, including housing as part of healthcare; inflation/unemployment/effects of AI. (PH) • Better understand the city’s response to respite/shelter needs of the unhoused during extreme weather events. (CC) • Presentation on the City’s Plan to positively affect climate change with an eye to understanding how it takes the needs of vulnerable populations into consideration. (CC) BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES NEEDED MEASURE OF SUCCESS STATE MANDATED / LOCAL LAW / COUNCIL- APPROVED Learning sessions are utilized by the HRC to explore an issue with the help of subject matter experts in order to 1) Become informed on the topic(s); 2) Explore whether there is a role for the HRC in addressing/recommending any action. During the term covered by this workplan Staff and HRC commissioner time Lower level of staff and adhoc subcommittee time. HRC discussions, deliberations, actions and recommendation are all well served by the review of information presented by subject matter experts. N/A HIGH PRIORITY LOWER PRIORITY COUNCIL-DIRECTED POLICY UPDATE Priority level of the individual Learning Sessions will be determined by the HRC. N/A PROJECT/GOAL 7: Exploratory Exploratory –Adhoc subcommittee to explore topics raised below at the Workplan retreat to further coalesce thinking before agendizing as a Learning Session. • The financial hardship for many to live in the community as the income needed to afford living in Palo Alto is untenable. (HEJD) • LGBTQI+/Pride events and recognition (I&B) • Create a grassroots effort to reengage vulnerable, underserved, minority community members in public meetings. Review/improve media and marketing outreach for the HRC. (I&B) BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES NEEDED MEASURE OF SUCCESS STATE MANDATED / LOCAL LAW / COUNCIL- APPROVED Fall-Winter Adhoc subcommittee and staff time. N/A HIGH PRIORITY LOWER PRIORITY COUNCIL-DIRECTED POLICY UPDATE Lower Priority N/A 2     Packet Pg. 13     PROJECT/GOAL 8: Emerging Issues Emerging Issues - The HRC will identify emerging issues in the community, prioritize those that need further attention and bring any major initiatives, including those that involve significant staff time to the Council for approval. The Commission will also be responsive to future referrals by the Council. BENEFICIAL IMPACTS TIMELINE RESOURCES NEEDED MEASURE OF SUCCESS STATE MANDATED / LOCAL LAW / COUNCIL-APPROVED The HRC has the discretion to act with respect to any human relations matter when the commission finds that any person or group does not benefit fully from public or private opportunities or resources in the community, or is unfairly or differently treated due to factors of concern to the commission. Ongoing TBD TBD N/A HIGH PRIORITY LOWER PRIORITY COUNCIL-DIRECTED POLICY UPDATE Lower priority N/A 2     Packet Pg. 14     From:Aram James To:Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Josh Becker; Zelkha, Mila; Rodriguez, Miguel; BoardOperations; Foley, Michael;Gardener, Liz; Ed Lauing; h.etzko@gmail.com; Doug Minkler; Mickie Winkler; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Hayden; EmilyMibach; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Rowena Chiu; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Kaloma Smith; TomDuBois; Marina Lopez; Cait James; Tim James; Josie James-Le; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni;Jax Ajluni; Lewis James; dennis burns; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Human Relations Commission; Wagner, April;Binder, Andrew; Roberta Ahlquist; Liz Kniss; Lotus Fong; Diana Diamond; EPA Today; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto;Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Burt, Patrick; Patrice Ventresca; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Doria Summa;ParkRec Commission; Bill Newell; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Anna Griffin; Raymond Goins; Holman, Karen(external); Cecilia Taylor; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Stump, Molly; editor@paweekly.com; Shikada, Ed;Baker, Rob; Roberta Ahlquist; Palo Alto Free Press; Friends of Cubberley; Reckdahl, Keith; Reckdahl, Keith; GerryGras; George for Palo Alto; board@valleywater.org; board@pausd.org; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; The Officeof Mayor Matt Mahan; Steve Wagstaffe; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Pacific GrovePD; GRP-City Council Subject:Re: I starred in a Super Bowl ad on Black, Jewish partnership. But Israel divided us. | Opinion Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 9:52:49 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Sun, Feb 9, 2025 at 1:57 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: I starred in a Super Bowl ad on Black, Jewish partnership. But Israel divided us. | Opinion https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2025/02/09/super-bowl-ad-black-jewish-israel-palestine-gaza/78293019007/ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 15     From:Aram James To:Lythcott-Haims, Julie Cc:Council, City; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gerry Gras; Stump, Molly; Dave Price; EPA Today; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Diana Diamond; Gardener, Liz; Perron, Zachary; Binder, Andrew; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; Bains, Paul; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Doug Minkler; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Raymond Goins; Sean Allen; Bill Newell; Josh Becker; board@pausd.org; Rowena Chiu; chuck jagoda; Chris Colohan; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Vara Ramakrishnan; Palo Alto Free Press; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Reifschneider, James; Human Relations Commission; Holman, Karen (external); Kaloma Smith; Tom DuBois; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Burt, Patrick; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Mickie Winkler; Daniel Kottke; board@valleywater.org; GRP-City Council; Cribbs, Anne; Templeton, Cari Subject:Fremont’s homeless camp ban would be the strictest in the Bay Area. Will other cities follow? Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 7:49:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Fremont’s homeless camp ban would be the strictest in the Bay Area. Will other cities follow? https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/02/10/fremonts-homeless-camp-ban-would-be-the-strictest-in-the-bay-area-will-other-cities-follow/ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 16     From:Aram James To:Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Bill Newell; ladoris cordell; Council, City;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Enberg, Nicholas; Nicole Chiu-Wang; board@pausd.org;board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Human Relations Commission; Roberta Ahlquist; h.etzko@gmail.com;Nicole Chiu-Wang; Jensen, Eric; Figueroa, Eric; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; Afanasiev, Alex; Perron, Zachary;Holman, Karen (external); Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; Diana Diamond; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Jeff Rosen;Jeff Hayden; Steve Wagstaffe; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Kaloma Smith; JaxAjluni; Salem Ajluni; Michelle; Vara Ramakrishnan; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; EPA Today;Cribbs, Anne; cromero@cityofepa.org; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Burt, Patrick; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov;frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Cait James; Tim James; Linda Jolley; JosieJames-Le; Rowena Chiu; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Baker, Rob; Robert. Jonsen; Marina Lopez; Stump,Molly Subject:Sonya Massey"s family reaches $10M settlement over fatal shooting Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 5:29:52 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Sonya Massey's family reaches $10M settlement over fatal shooting https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sonya-masseys-family-reaches-10m-settlement-rcna191317 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 17     From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; h.etzko@gmail.com; Binder, Andrew; josh@joshsalcman.com; Jeff Conrad; JeffRosen; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Vicki Veenker; Council, City; Bill Newell; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; dennis burns;Human Relations Commission; Lotus Fong; Linda Jolley; board@valleywater.org; Jay Boyarsky; Raj Jayadev;BoardOperations; bos@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org; John Burt; Vara Ramakrishnan; Jose Valle; Sarah Wright;Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; Diana Diamond; Cribbs, Anne; cromero@cityofepa.org;planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Doug Minkler; Wagner, April; Nicole Chiu-Wang;Rowena Chiu; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Baker, Rob; Robert. Jonsen; Pat M; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov;frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Palo Alto Free Press; Gerry Gras; George for PaloAlto; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Zelkha, Mila; Daniel Kottke; Stump, Molly; Salem Ajluni; Jack Ajluni;Gardener, Liz; Michelle; DuJuan Green; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Dennis Upton; Patrice Ventresca Subject:Netanyahu Is Preparing to Sabotage the Gaza Ceasefire…Again Fresh off his triumphant trip to Washington, D.C., the Israeli leader is preparing a set of new demands for Phase 2 he hopes Hamas will reject. Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 11:51:45 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Netanyahu Is Preparing to Sabotage the Gaza Ceasefire…Again Fresh off his triumphant trip to Washington, D.C., the Israeli leader is preparing a set of new demands for Phase 2 he hopes Hamas will reject. https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/trump-netanyahu-sabotage-ceasefire-hamas-phase-2? utm_medium=web {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 18     From:Aram James To:Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Josh Becker; Zelkha, Mila; Rodriguez, Miguel; BoardOperations; Foley, Michael;Gardener, Liz; Ed Lauing; h.etzko@gmail.com; Doug Minkler; Mickie Winkler; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Hayden; EmilyMibach; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Rowena Chiu; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Kaloma Smith; TomDuBois; Marina Lopez; Cait James; Tim James; Josie James-Le; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni;Jax Ajluni; Lewis James; dennis burns; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Human Relations Commission; Wagner, April;Binder, Andrew; Roberta Ahlquist; Liz Kniss; Lotus Fong; Diana Diamond; EPA Today; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto;Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Burt, Patrick; Patrice Ventresca; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Doria Summa;ParkRec Commission; Bill Newell; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Anna Griffin; Raymond Goins; Holman, Karen(external); Cecilia Taylor; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Stump, Molly; editor@paweekly.com; Shikada, Ed;Baker, Rob; Roberta Ahlquist; Palo Alto Free Press; Friends of Cubberley; Reckdahl, Keith; Reckdahl, Keith; GerryGras; George for Palo Alto; board@valleywater.org; board@pausd.org; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; The Officeof Mayor Matt Mahan; Steve Wagstaffe; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Pacific GrovePD; GRP-City Council Subject:I starred in a Super Bowl ad on Black, Jewish partnership. But Israel divided us. | Opinion Date:Sunday, February 9, 2025 1:58:36 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. I starred in a Super Bowl ad on Black, Jewish partnership. But Israel divided us. | Opinion https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2025/02/09/super-bowl-ad-black-jewish-israel-palestine-gaza/78293019007/ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 19     From:Aram James To:Reckdahl, Keith; Reckdahl, Keith; Julian Ortuondo; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>;Gerry Gras; Templeton, Cari; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Binder, Andrew;Robert. Jonsen; Raymond Goins; Sean Allen; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; JeffConrad; Jeff Rosen; Bill Newell; Dave Price; Reifschneider, James; Tim James; Cait James; Nicole Chiu-Wang;Sarah Wright; Jay Boyarsky; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; John Burt; MickieWinkler; Senator Becker; Jose Valle; Human Relations Commission; dennis burns; Roberta Ahlquist; Gardener,Liz; Daniel Kottke; Holman, Karen (external); Kaloma Smith; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin;Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Tom DuBois; cromero@cityofepa.org; Cribbs, Anne; rabrica@cityofepa.org;Enberg, Nicholas; Barberini, Christopher; chuck jagoda; Chris Colohan Subject:Re: A series on the damage police dogs inflict on Americans, published in collaboration with AL.com, IndyStar and the Invisible Institute. Date:Saturday, February 8, 2025 8:10:48 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Time to ban police canines in Palo Alto- and Santa Clara County Wide Pulitzer Prize Winning series: 2020 series -hard to watch-critical to watch. A series on the damage police dogs inflict on Americans, published in collaboration withAL.com, IndyStar and the Invisible Institute. Source: The Marshall ProjectMauled: When Police Dogs Are Weapons https://search.app/6UZbgnawkdPhMPcW7 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 20     From:Office of Supervisor Sylvia ArenasTo:Human Relations CommissionSubject:The D1 Update: Protecting Immigrant Families, Lawsuits filed against Trump Administration, County finalizes RegionalMedical Center AcquistionDate:Friday, February 7, 2025 6:43:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. IN THIS ISSUE: Santa Clara County and San Francisco lead coalition in lawsuit protecting cities and counties against unlawful threats from the Trump Administration Santa Clara County to block Trump effort to end Birthright Citizenship Santa Clara County allocates $5 million in anticipation of Trump Administration Board of Supervisors unanimous approves Countywide Community Violence Prevention Strategic Plan $150 million deal reached for Regional Medical Center Board of Supervisors unanimously approves new Office of Economic Development New LAFCO policy expands water {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 21     access for agricultural housing Expanding Childcare in South County Report ICE activity to the Rapid Response Network Santa Clara County and San Francisco lead coalition in lawsuit protecting cities and counties against unlawful threats from Trump Administration On February 7, the County of Santa Clara, the City of San Francisco and a coalition of over 100 local jurisdictions from across the nation, announced a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over Executive Orders and federal administration actions illegally harming jurisdictions that have non-cooperation policies which prohibit the use of local resources to aid federal immigration officials with carrying out civil immigration enforcement. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 22     The courts have repeatedly upheld local governments’ constitutional right to choose a policy of non-cooperation. These policies in no way prevent the federal government from using its own resources to enforce federal immigration laws. This is a clear message that we will hold the line as we’ve done before, in solidarity with our immigrant communities, to stand up against the Trump Administration’s bullying and intimidation tactics to withhold federal funding for critical County services. Our region and country were built on the backs of immigrants, and we must have the courage to continue standing strong. We will remain united and stand up for justice, even if that means noncooperation with mass deportations that aim to separate our families. Watch Press Conference Read County Press Release Santa Clara County to block Trump effort to end Birthright Citizenship {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 23     On January 30, the County filed a lawsuit in federal court in San José to block President Trump’s unconstitutional executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship. Santa Clara County is home to an estimated 773,000 residents or 40 percent of county residents identified as being born outside of the United States. Nearly 54 percent of residents speak a language other than English at home, making our community a safe haven for immigrants fleeing devastation. As a proud daughter of immigrants who came here with hopes and dreams of a better life for myself and my siblings, this unconstitutional executive order is an attack on our entire community, in particular our immigrant community, and the moral fabric that enables Santa Clara County to thrive. At time of writing, a federal judge in Maryland has blocked President Trump's executive order to end citizenship for children born on U.S. soil to parents in the country without legal status, expanding a ruling filed on January 30 by a federal court in Seattle that blocked the executive order for 14 days. The lawsuit filed by County Council reflects {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 24     the County’s commitment to our immigrant community. As one of the most diverse enclaves within the United States, Santa Clara County is home to the largest population of immigrant residents out of all of California’s 58 counties. The County will continue to serve in the best interests of our community and most importantly our immigrant families who need us now more than ever. Read County's Press Release Read SJ Spotlight article Santa Clara County allocates $5 million in anticipation of deportation threats against immigrants Last December, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved my referral to expand preparations in anticipation of threats by the Trump administration against immigrants and vulnerable residents in Santa Clara County. From legal support to preventing family {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 25     separation and increasing Know Your Rights education, my referral includes rapid response efforts utilizing county resources to create safety measures for immigrant families fearing deportation threats. These proactive measures are supplemented by an unanimously approved $5 million in funds proposed by the County Executive’s Office – delegating authority to the County Executive to negotiate and execute agreements with nonprofit and community groups to temporarily streamline aid. In addition, this referral directs county administration to compile an extensive report with options to increase county staffing, immigration rights outreach in the workplace and expand County department capabilities to protect our most vulnerable against unjust deportations. County staff has begun analyzing County contracts relevant to new threats by coordinating with impacted community organizations and compiling a confidential report to review federal funding and agreements. Read County Press Release Read Board Referral Board of Supervisors unanimously approves $5 million for Countywide Community Violence Prevention Strategic Plan {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 26     On February 4, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Countywide Community Violence Prevention Strategic Plan which includes $5 million in funding for the three-year workplan which I initiated with Supervisor Susan Ellenberg. The Countywide Community Violence Prevention Strategic Plan aims to address the growing incidence and impact of community violence in Santa Clara County. The plan emphasizes evidence-based approaches to prevent violence from occurring by addressing the immediate needs of those impacted by violence and introducing strategic preventative measures. We must use every tool at our disposal to break the cycles of violence and poverty that impact too many of our families. This action is a critical step to move our county to a coordinated approach that is strategic with our existing investments and new ones. Read Countywide Community Violence Prevention Strategic PlanReport {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 27     Watch Board Meeting Discussion,Item 10 Santa Clara County reaches agreement to purchase Regional Medical Center for $150 million On January 13, the County of Santa Clara and HCA Healthcare reached a definitive agreement to purchase Regional Medical Center (RMC) for $150 million. The agreement finalizes an Asset Purchase Agreement expected to close on April 1 where the County will begin overseeing operations. As the leading emergency healthcare provider in East San José, RMC's integration into the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) system will see the restoration of Level II trauma care, labor and delivery services, in addition to STEMI and comprehensive stroke services. HCA Healthcare downgraded RMC's Trauma Care Center from Level III to Level II in July of 2024, resulting in potentially severe impacts to {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 28     low-income and underinsured residents in East San José. The addition of the 258-bed hospital marks the fourth hospital in the SCVH System. By moving quickly to purchase RMC within the last six months, the County is preserving and enhancing critical life-saving care for a historically disenfranchised area of Santa Clara County. The RMC acquisition also prevents the further inundation of patients to sister hospitals within the SCVH system, ensuring that quality care remains local and accessible to residents while addressing the diverse medical needs of our community. I’d like to thank the County Executive’s Office for their leadership and commitment to ensuring our most vulnerable have continued access to critical care when they need it most. Read County Press Release Board of Supervisors unanimously approves new Office of Economic Development to support South County agritourism {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 29     On December 10, 2024, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved my referral to create a new Office of Economic Development (OED). This new office will focus on aiding economic development in unincorporated Santa Clara County, specifically in South Santa Clara County by supporting and preserving agricultural businesses and promoting agritourism. In 2018, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan – which called for the long-term agricultural investment and growth of our agricultural economy. While the County has economic strategies in place, we currently do not have a central coordinated hub whose sole focus is to drive economic initiatives forward. The OED offers an economic lifeline to the farmlands of South Santa Clara County, home to the vast majority of our county’s farmlands, vineyards, and fruit stands. South County's charm lies in its vibrant small farms, wineries, and agricultural legacies that enrich our community. This office will allow us to develop a regional brand identity, reclaiming the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” to showcase our world-class produce and {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 30     agricultural community. Read Board Referral New LAFCO policy expands water access to unincorporated Santa Clara County, clearing agricultural housing hurdle It’s been two decades since Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) policies were updated in Santa Clara County. LAFCO is a key agency in determining land use like agricultural housing and plays a major role in our Agricultural Worker Housing Workplan. As a state-mandated independent local agency, LAFCO oversees the boundaries of cities and districts in Santa Clara County, setting regional planning and regulatory policy for water access, sewer services and fire protection. In December of 2024, we reduced a key barrier to developing agricultural housing by adopting a new policy allowing for the {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 31     extension of potable drinking water and sewer services to future agricultural worker housing projects in unincorporated county lands. LAFCO’s outdated policies made it impossible for farmers to develop housing for their workers, and I am proud to serve on a LAFCO board that understands the vital role of agricultural workers in feeding our families. Thank you to outgoing LAFCO Chair, Russ Melton, for his support in helping us clear this major hurdle to develop housing for our agricultural workers. By expanding water access to unincorporated Santa Clara County, future agricultural housing projects will allow farmworkers to live and work with dignity. Read LAFCO Policy, Item 15 Expanding childcare access and development in South County with $1.8 million grant for Gavilan College I joined South County leaders at Gavilan College in Gilroy last December to announce a $1,749,800 grant from the Valley Health Foundation for the YMCA of Silicon Valley to support the renovation of the Gavilan College Child Development Center and the launch of the Early Learning Center. The grant announced by YMCA comes from the County’s Childcare Expansion Grant Program through the Federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under the American Rescue Plan Act. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 32     The $1.8 million will help expand childcare access and development in South County with new facilities, programs, and affordable childcare. The Childcare Expansion Grant Program enhances childcare facilities across Santa Clara County, prioritizing families most affected by the pandemic or those unable to afford early learning programs. Through the $1.7 million grant, the YMCA of Silicon Valley will build a state-of-the-art facility focused on early childhood development while addressing the rising demand for childcare in South County. I am excited to see this grant become reality to change lives and allow South County families to access affordable, quality childcare. By building development facilities and investing in the next generation of childcare workers, we are creating a future that prioritizes our children and families. Read YMCA Press Release Report ICE activity to the Rapid Response Network of Santa Clara County The Rapid Response Network is a community defense project in Santa Clara County to protect immigrant families from deportation threats and to provide support during and after a community member’s arrest or detention. Report ICE activity by calling the 24/7 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 33     Video hotline at 408-290-1144 Register for an upcoming training Follow the Rapid Response Network on Facebook and Instagram for real-time updates Know Your Rights Resources ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 34     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 35     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 36     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 37     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 38     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 39     If you are in need of assistance, please contact the District 1 Office at 408-299-5010 or district1@bos.sccgov.org {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 40     Follow Supervisor Arenas on Socials! 70 West Hedding, East Wing, 10th Floor San Jose, CA 95110 (408) 299-5010 Email Supervisor Arenas District 1 Website Unsubscribe from future messages. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 41     From:Uzma Minhas Subject:[Reminder to Register] You’re invited to Palo Alto"s Annual Community Ramadan Iftar Dinner (March 8, 2025) Date:Thursday, February 6, 2025 8:01:34 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Thank you to everyone who has already registered! If you haven’t yet, please take a momentto register and confirm your attendance. We appreciate it and look forward to seeing you!Break Fast and Build Community With Us Join us for an evening of great food, meaningful conversations, and community spirit. This gathering is an opportunity to learn about the tradition of Iftar—the evening meal at sunset that marks the end of a day of fasting during Ramadan—and to connect with neighbors, leaders, and friends from all backgrounds. Come share a meal, celebrate our diverse community, and experience the spirit of togetherness that makes Palo Alto so special. We look forward to welcoming you! Register soon—space is limited! We hope to see you there! Saturday, March 8, 2025 5:00 PM Palo Alto's Annual Community Ramadan Iftar Dinner Register Lucie Stern Community Center {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 42     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 43     From:Aram James To:Human Relations Commission; Roberta Ahlquist; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Gardener, Liz Subject:NAACP AND MAWEKMA OHLONE TRIBAL COUNCIL CALL TO REMOVE RACIST MURAL IN PALO ALTO COURT Raymond Goins - SV De-Bug - January 31, 2025 - 2 minute read Date:Monday, February 3, 2025 4:31:42 PM CAUTION: THIS EMAIL ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION. BE CAUTIOUS OF OPENING ATTACHMENTS AND CLICKING ON LINKS. NAACP AND MAWEKMA OHLONE TRIBAL COUNCIL CALL TO REMOVE RACIST MURAL IN PALO ALTO COURT Raymond Goins - SV De-Bug - January 31, 2025 - 2 minute read https://www.siliconvalleydebug.org/stories/call-to-remove-racist-mural-in-palo-alto-court {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 44     From:Uzma Minhas Subject:You’re invited to Palo Alto"s Annual Community Ramadan Iftar Dinner (March 8, 2025) Date:Monday, February 3, 2025 11:40:17 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Break Fast and Build Community With Us Join us for an evening of great food, meaningful conversations, and community spirit. This gathering is an opportunity to learn about the tradition of Iftar—the evening meal at sunset that marks the end of a day of fasting during Ramadan—and to connect with neighbors, leaders, and friends from all backgrounds. Come share a meal, celebrate our diverse community, and experience the spirit of togetherness that makes Palo Alto so special. We look forward to welcoming you! Register soon—space is limited! We hope to see you there! Saturday, March 8, 2025 5:00 PM Palo Alto's Annual Community Ramadan Iftar Dinner Register Lucie Stern Community Center {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 45     From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; Vicki Veenker; Burt, Patrick; gstone22@gmail.com; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com;Jeff Conrad; h.etzko@gmail.com; Human Relations Commission; Doug Minkler; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway;Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; board@pausd.org; BoardOperations; Gerry Gras; Cait James; Tim James; MarinaLopez; Lewis james; Council, City; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Marty Wasserman; Pat M; Diana Diamond; DavePrice; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; Daniel Kottke; Kaloma Smith; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James Subject:Columbia students just sued the university for attacks on pro-Palestine activism Date:Monday, February 3, 2025 9:40:39 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://open.substack.com/pub/dropsitenews/p/columbia-students-sue-university-palestine- activism?r=fjmzt&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 46     From:Martin Wasserman To:h.etzko@gmail.com Cc:Aram James; Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; Council, City; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Bill Newell; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Braden Cartwright; Today EPA; Diana Diamond; Doug Minkler; Gerry Gras; Palo Alto Free Press; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; Pat M; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Dave Price; dennis burns; Human Relations Commission; Kaloma Smith; Holman, Karen (external); Tom DuBois; Tim James; Templeton, Cari; Cait James; Lewis james; Marina Lopez; jason.green@bayareanewsgroup.com; Cecilia Taylor; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Zelkha, Mila; Michelle; Foley, Michael; michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com; Mickie Winkler; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Anna Griffin; Cribbs, Anne; Daniel Kottke; kamhialison@gmail.com; josh@joshsalcman.com; Vicki Veenker; Raymond Goins; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; qy2103@columbia.edu; Jack Ajluni; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Sandy Perry- HCA; San José Spotlight; Jennifer Morrow San José Spotlight; Jessica Speiser; Vara Ramakrishnan; Steve Wagstaffe; Lotus Fong; Friends of Cubberley; Gennady Sheyner; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Barberini, Christopher; Stump, Molly; Ellen Fox Subject:Re: Israel Escalates West Bank Military Assault, Invading Areas Across the North Date:Sunday, February 2, 2025 9:23:41 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Henry, I'm a bit surprised that you would use a prayer service in a Jewish synagogue to bless the"state of Palestine,” a state that in fact does not exist, and if common sense prevails in Israel, will never exist. If Israel did allow such a state to come into being, it would surely pose amortal danger to the Jewish state, since the entire basis of Palestinian nationalism is hatred of Israel and commitment to its destruction. Maybe you think this state would be run by liberal,western-trained technocrats and academicians. But how could they prevent the state from being taken over by radical jihadists who think nothing of killing or dying for their cause?Every time Israel has retreated from territory, that territory has always been taken over by hostile forces, not friendly ones, and peace has gotten more distant, not closer. Marty On Feb 1, 2025, at 9:25 PM, Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Aram Not good news but expectable, sadly from corrupt Netanyahu government that to date always seem to land on its feet. This morning at Etz Chaim Rabbi Chaiminvited me to lead the prayer for the State of Israel which I did, inserting a blessing for state of Palestine, future sister of Israel. I received a look from one person but otherwise calmly accepted as far as I couldtell. Best Henry Ps will you join me for 9-10am Torah study next week as we have discussed?Sent from my iPhone {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 47     On Jan 31, 2025, at 2:51 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:On Fri, Jan 31, 2025 at 2:19 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com>wrote: Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Israel Escalates West BankMilitary Assault, InvadingAreas Across the North Israel’s defense minister says troops will remain in Jeninrefugee camp indefinitely MARIAM BARGHOUTI JAN 31 ∙GUEST POST READ IN APP {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 48     The funeral ceremony of 10 Palestinians killed in an Israeli attack on Tamoun, a village in Tubas, West Bank on January 30, 2025. (Photo by Nedal Eshtayah/Anadolu via Getty Images) JENIN AND TULKAREM—An Israeli airstrike on a crowded neighborhood in the village of Tamoun in the northern West Bank on Wednesday killed at least 10 Palestinians, one of the single deadliest strikes in the West Bank in months. Minutes later, Israeli forces raided the city of Qalqilya and surrounding areas, escalating the military assault. Israeli troops backed by drones and fighter jets have now taken hold of all of the major districts in the north of the occupied territory. Barely 48 hours after the “ceasefire” in Gaza came into effect on January 19, Israel announced “Operation Iron Wall,” a large-scale military operation to “defeat terrorism in Jenin.” What began in the Jenin refugee camp has expanded to {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 49     Tulkarem, Tubas, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Jericho. Dozens of homes have been destroyed and thousands of families have been forcibly displaced. In the span of 10 days, at least 37 Palestinians have been killed, including a two-year-old who was shot with a bullet to the head at home in Jenin. A group of UN special rapporteurs released a statement this week saying the Israeli military operation in the West Bank “marks a dangerous escalation against Palestinians.” “We are dismayed by the escalation of deadly violence sweeping through Jenin and the rest of the occupied West Bank,” the UN experts said. “Israel's repression seems to have no end in sight… The heightened assault on the occupied West Bank is part of an overall process of Palestinian forced displacement and replacement and the territorial expansion of Israel.” In a publicized visit to the Jenin camp on Wednesday, Israeli defense minister Israel Katz, declared that troops would maintain a permanent presence there once the military operation was over. “We have declared war on Palestinian terror in the West Bank,” he said. “After the operation is completed, IDF forces will remain in the camp to ensure that terror does not return.” Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Upgrade to paid Depopulating Jenin refugee camp Within the first few hours of Operation Iron Wall, the Israeli army killed at least 11 Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp, the vast majority of them civilians. Over the next three days, Israeli forces began systematically depopulating the camp—bombing {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 50     neighborhoods, firing live ammunition, and bulldozing streets and homes. “All we heard from the drones was ‘get out of your homes or we will kill you.’ We got afraid, and we left with only the clothes we had on,” said Haniyeh Dabayah, a 73-year-old resident who says she escaped the camp while being shot at by the Israeli army. Within days, the camp had been largely emptied, with thousands of families forced to take refuge in neighboring villages, staying either with relatives or friends, not knowing if or when they could return. While Israeli military raids on the Jenin refugee camp have become common in the last three years, Operation Iron Wall set a new precedent by attacking the entire governorate of Jenin— which includes Jenin city and refugee camp and surrounding villages and towns—placing it on lockdown for days, with families unable to leave their homes as Israeli warplanes bombed sites across the area. Dubbing it the “Wasps Nest,” Israeli military and intelligence have long targeted Jenin as a stronghold of armed resistance. Although relatively small and impoverished, Jenin refugee camp has been one of the few areas in the West Bank that has managed to organize armed groups across factional lines into the Jenin Brigade. However, according to residents from the camp and other sources, most of the fighters in the Jenin Brigade left the camp early on in the Israeli operation. Only a handful opted to remain and confront the Israeli military. A day before the latest Israeli invasion, Palestinian Authority security forces had concluded their own large-scale offensive on the camp dubbed Operation Home, one of the longest and most lethal assaults by Palestinian security forces in recent {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 51     memory. At least 11 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians, including one child. Security forces also arbitrarily detained dozens of residents and subjected them to torture and abuse. The Israeli army invaded while Palestinian Authority armored vehicles and soldiers were still in the camp. “[The security forces] chose to withdraw from the camp in order to avoid direct confrontation with the Israeli army,” the Palestinian Authority security forces’ spokesperson, Gen. Brig. Anwar Rajab, said in a statement. As the Israeli military conducted airstrikes on Jenin refugee camp, the Palestinian Authority detained several prominent Jenin Brigade fighters, including their spokesperson Abu Issam, as they were escaping. With most of the fighters relocated outside the camp, the Israeli military began a campaign of “mowing the lawn,” in which residential buildings were bombed, bulldozed, and set ablaze. While journalists were again denied entry, the sounds of explosions and the sight of smoke from inside the camp were continuous. By the seventh day, the majority of the camp had been destroyed. According to the Israeli military, more than 60 houses in Jenin were demolished and at least 3,000 families have been displaced, according to the UN. At the same time, Israel attacked neighboring towns and villages with drone strikes and ground troops. “The sound of drones was so loud and close I thought they were in the house,” said Sameeh Hazza, a resident of Muthalath Shuhada, a small town southwest of Jenin. His two-year-old niece Laila Khateeb was shot in the head and killed on Saturday while in her home. “What did she do wrong?” Hazza says standing by her grave moments after the burial. “We were {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 52     preparing to eat dinner and all we saw were red and green lasers in the house, then the bullets poured in.” An elderly Palestinian man stands in the middle of a destroyed market during an Israeli military raid on the city of Tulkarem and Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Assault on Tulkarem By the second week, the operation had expanded to the governorate of Tulkarem, southwest of Jenin. On the morning of January 27, an airstrike on a car outside the Nour Shams refugee camp, located just outside the city of Tulkarem, killed two Palestinian fighters. Moments later, another airstrike hit Tulkarem refugee camp. Within hours, Israeli bulldozers and soldiers were deployed deep into the city of Tulkarem. The main market was quickly emptied while the public hospital was encircled and put under siege. Similar to the operation in Jenin, the Israeli army began by targeting critical infrastructure in the city—destroying telecommunication networks and water mains. “We were forced out of our home at gunpoint while explosions continued in the camp,” said Azza Kahle, 35. A mother of five, Kahle told Drop Site that she had never before witnessed this level of violence. “We weren’t allowed to take anything except our phones and the clothes we were wearing,” she said. “Now we’re displaced, with nowhere to go and my children are cold.” Some families managed to reach the homes of relatives on the outskirts of Tulkarem, but dozens had nowhere to go and were forced to take shelter in the local mosque. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 53     The Israeli military continued to escalate its attack, bulldozing streets and displacing dozens of families in the city itself. Many families were forced out of their homes at gunpoint as soldiers stationed snipers inside them and turned residential buildings into makeshift military posts. “The Israeli army is besieging the entire city with an unprecedented number of soldiers sprawled across the area,” said Tariq Hishme, a journalism student from Tulkarem. “This did not even happen in this way during the Second Intifada, and the targeting of the city itself marks a terrifying and new escalation,” he said. The Israeli military also obstructed medical personnel and journalists from accessing certain areas. As the army besieged the hospital, patients were unable to receive proper medical care. “I need to give birth,” said a pregnant woman as she stood several meters away from the hospital in the cold. It took medics hours to be able to coordinate her entry into the hospital. “The goal of the Israeli forces besieging hospitals is to obstruct medics from reaching the wounded,” Ahmad Zahran, the deputy chief of emergency care in Thabit public hospital, told Drop Site. “They take hours in their security check,” he said. “The time they take in checking medics and verifying patients takes away from the patient's time." According to Zahran, the level of violence in Tulkarem is like no other he has witnessed before. “I’ve been obstructed before, and they’ve invaded Tulkarem before, but this time it’s a different type of aggression.” As medics were detained while on duty, journalists were targeted with stun grenades, teargas, and live ammunition. At least one journalist, Nagham Al-Zayet was injured with shrapnel in Tulkarem. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 54     From Gaza to the West Bank In the first three weeks of the new year, Israeli forces killed 26 Palestinians, including four children. In the last ten days—since the Gaza ceasefire and the launch of Operation Iron Wall—the Israeli military has killed 37 Palestinians in the West Bank, including four children. “This is not random,” Roshdi Al-Norsi, a 43-year-old resident of Jenin refugee camp, told Drop Site. “This assault comes amid the release of Palestinian detainees and the suspension of bombs on Gaza. What Israel is telling us, is that we are not allowed to celebrate anything, not the release of the detainees, not the resistance, nothing.” Israeli battalions that served in Gaza—including members of the Kfir brigades and the Skylark unit—have been deployed in Jenin as part of Operation Iron Wall. “Look, over there in the distance. That smoke you see, that’s my home,” Abu Nizar, 63, told Drop Site. Standing on a hill overlooking Jenin refugee camp, he struggled to contain his grief. “Israel is vengeful, they see Jenin as Gaza, so as they leave Gaza with the ceasefire they’re coming here. After here, it’s the rest of the West Bank.” Leave a comment Upgrade to paid A guest post by Mariam Barghouti Mariam Barghouti is a writer and a journalist based in {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 55     the West Bank. She is a member of the Marie Colvin Journalist Network. Subscribe to Mariam Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber Drop Site News is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Upgrade to paid A paid subscription gets you: Subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL Post comments and join the community The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of the powerful miserable You can also now find us on podcast platforms and on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, Telegram, and YouTube. LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Drop Site News, Inc.Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NWSte 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 Unsubscribe {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 56     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 57     From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Aram James Cc:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; Council, City; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Bill Newell; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Braden Cartwright; Today EPA; Diana Diamond; Doug Minkler; Gerry Gras; Palo Alto Free Press; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; Pat M; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Dave Price; dennis burns; Marty Wasserman; Human Relations Commission; Kaloma Smith; Holman, Karen (external); Tom DuBois; Tim James; Templeton, Cari; Cait James; Lewis james; Marina Lopez; jason.green@bayareanewsgroup.com; Cecilia Taylor; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Zelkha, Mila; Michelle; Foley, Michael; michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com; Mickie Winkler; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Anna Griffin; Cribbs, Anne; Daniel Kottke; kamhialison@gmail.com; josh@joshsalcman.com; Vicki Veenker; Raymond Goins; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; qy2103@columbia.edu; Jack Ajluni; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Sandy Perry- HCA; San José Spotlight; Jennifer Morrow San José Spotlight; Jessica Speiser; Vara Ramakrishnan; Steve Wagstaffe; Lotus Fong; Friends of Cubberley; Gennady Sheyner; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Barberini, Christopher; Stump, Molly; Today EPA; Human Relations Commission; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Stump, Molly Subject:Re: Israel Escalates West Bank Military Assault, Invading Areas Across the North Date:Saturday, February 1, 2025 9:25:56 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi Aram Not good news but expectable, sadly from corrupt Netanyahu government that to date alwaysseem to land on its feet. This morning at Etz Chaim Rabbi Chaim invited me to lead the prayer for the State of Israel which I did, inserting a blessing for state of Palestine, future sisterof Israel. I received a look from one person but otherwise calmly accepted as far as I could tell. Best Henry Ps will you join me for 9-10am Torah study next week as we have discussed?Sent from my iPhone On Jan 31, 2025, at 2:51 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:On Fri, Jan 31, 2025 at 2:19 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Israel Escalates West Bank MilitaryAssault, Invading Areas Across the {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 58     North Israel’s defense minister says troops will remain in Jenin refugeecamp indefinitely MARIAM BARGHOUTI JAN 31 ∙GUEST POST READ IN APP The funeral ceremony of 10 Palestinians killed in an Israeli attack on Tamoun, a village in Tubas, West Bank on January 30, 2025. (Photo by Nedal Eshtayah/Anadolu via Getty Images) {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 59     JENIN AND TULKAREM—An Israeli airstrike on a crowded neighborhood in the village of Tamoun in the northern West Bank on Wednesday killed at least 10 Palestinians, one of the single deadliest strikes in the West Bank in months. Minutes later, Israeli forces raided the city of Qalqilya and surrounding areas, escalating the military assault. Israeli troops backed by drones and fighter jets have now taken hold of all of the major districts in the north of the occupied territory. Barely 48 hours after the “ceasefire” in Gaza came into effect on January 19, Israel announced “Operation Iron Wall,” a large-scale military operation to “defeat terrorism in Jenin.” What began in the Jenin refugee camp has expanded to Tulkarem, Tubas, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Jericho. Dozens of homes have been destroyed and thousands of families have been forcibly displaced. In the span of 10 days, at least 37 Palestinians have been killed, including a two-year-old who was shot with a bullet to the head at home in Jenin. A group of UN special rapporteurs released a statement this week saying the Israeli military operation in the West Bank “marks a dangerous escalation against Palestinians.” “We are dismayed by the escalation of deadly violence sweeping through Jenin and the rest of the occupied West Bank,” the UN experts said. “Israel's repression seems to have no end in sight…The heightened assault on the occupied West Bank is part of an overall process of Palestinian forced displacement and replacement and the territorial expansion of Israel.” In a publicized visit to the Jenin camp on Wednesday, Israeli defense minister Israel Katz, declared that troops would maintain a permanent presence there once the military operation was over. “We have declared war on Palestinian terror in the West Bank,” he said. “After the operation is completed, IDF forces will remain in the camp to ensure that terror does not return.” Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 60     becoming a free or paid subscriber. Upgrade to paid Depopulating Jenin refugee camp Within the first few hours of Operation Iron Wall, the Israeli army killed at least 11 Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp, the vast majority of them civilians. Over the next three days, Israeli forces began systematically depopulating the camp—bombing neighborhoods, firing live ammunition, and bulldozing streets and homes. “All we heard from the drones was ‘get out of your homes or we will kill you.’ We got afraid, and we left with only the clothes we had on,” said Haniyeh Dabayah, a 73-year-old resident who says she escaped the camp while being shot at by the Israeli army. Within days, the camp had been largely emptied, with thousands of families forced to take refuge in neighboring villages, staying either with relatives or friends, not knowing if or when they could return. While Israeli military raids on the Jenin refugee camp have become common in the last three years, Operation Iron Wall set a new precedent by attacking the entire governorate of Jenin—which includes Jenin city and refugee camp and surrounding villages and towns—placing it on lockdown for days, with families unable to leave their homes as Israeli warplanes bombed sites across the area. Dubbing it the “Wasps Nest,” Israeli military and intelligence have long targeted Jenin as a stronghold of armed resistance. Although relatively small and impoverished, Jenin refugee camp has been one of the few areas in the West Bank that has managed to organize armed groups across factional lines into the Jenin Brigade. However, according to residents from the camp and other sources, most of the fighters in the Jenin Brigade left the camp early on in the Israeli operation. Only a handful opted to remain and confront the Israeli military. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 61     A day before the latest Israeli invasion, Palestinian Authority security forces had concluded their own large-scale offensive on the camp dubbed Operation Home, one of the longest and most lethal assaults by Palestinian security forces in recent memory. At least 11 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians, including one child. Security forces also arbitrarily detained dozens of residents and subjected them to torture and abuse. The Israeli army invaded while Palestinian Authority armored vehicles and soldiers were still in the camp. “[The security forces] chose to withdraw from the camp in order to avoid direct confrontation with the Israeli army,” the Palestinian Authority security forces’ spokesperson, Gen. Brig. Anwar Rajab, said in a statement. As the Israeli military conducted airstrikes on Jenin refugee camp, the Palestinian Authority detained several prominent Jenin Brigade fighters, including their spokesperson Abu Issam, as they were escaping. With most of the fighters relocated outside the camp, the Israeli military began a campaign of “mowing the lawn,” in which residential buildings were bombed, bulldozed, and set ablaze. While journalists were again denied entry, the sounds of explosions and the sight of smoke from inside the camp were continuous. By the seventh day, the majority of the camp had been destroyed. According to the Israeli military, more than 60 houses in Jenin were demolished and at least 3,000 families have been displaced, according to the UN. At the same time, Israel attacked neighboring towns and villages with drone strikes and ground troops. “The sound of drones was so loud and close I thought they were in the house,” said Sameeh Hazza, a resident of Muthalath Shuhada, a small town southwest of Jenin. His two-year-old niece Laila Khateeb was shot in the head and killed on Saturday while in her home. “What did she do wrong?” Hazza says standing by her grave moments after the burial. “We were preparing to eat dinner and all we saw were red and green lasers in the {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 62     house, then the bullets poured in.” An elderly Palestinian man stands in the middle of a destroyed market during an Israeli military raid on the city of Tulkarem and Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Assault on Tulkarem By the second week, the operation had expanded to the governorate of Tulkarem, southwest of Jenin. On the morning of January 27, an airstrike on a car outside the Nour Shams refugee camp, located just outside the city of Tulkarem, killed two Palestinian fighters. Moments later, another airstrike hit Tulkarem refugee camp. Within hours, Israeli bulldozers and soldiers were deployed deep into the city of Tulkarem. The main market was quickly emptied while the public hospital was encircled and put under siege. Similar to the operation in Jenin, the Israeli army began by targeting critical infrastructure in the city—destroying telecommunication networks and water mains. “We were forced out of our home at gunpoint while explosions continued in the camp,” said Azza Kahle, 35. A mother of five, Kahle told Drop Site that she had never before witnessed this level of violence. “We weren’t allowed to take anything except our phones and the clothes we were wearing,” she said. “Now we’re displaced, with nowhere to go and my children are cold.” Some families managed to reach the homes of relatives on the outskirts of Tulkarem, but dozens had nowhere to go and were forced to take shelter in the local mosque. The Israeli military continued to escalate its attack, bulldozing streets and displacing dozens of families in the city itself. Many families were forced out of their homes at gunpoint as soldiers stationed snipers inside them and turned residential buildings into makeshift military posts. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 63     “The Israeli army is besieging the entire city with an unprecedented number of soldiers sprawled across the area,” said Tariq Hishme, a journalism student from Tulkarem. “This did not even happen in this way during the Second Intifada, and the targeting of the city itself marks a terrifying and new escalation,” he said. The Israeli military also obstructed medical personnel and journalists from accessing certain areas. As the army besieged the hospital, patients were unable to receive proper medical care. “I need to give birth,” said a pregnant woman as she stood several meters away from the hospital in the cold. It took medics hours to be able to coordinate her entry into the hospital. “The goal of the Israeli forces besieging hospitals is to obstruct medics from reaching the wounded,” Ahmad Zahran, the deputy chief of emergency care in Thabit public hospital, told Drop Site. “They take hours in their security check,” he said. “The time they take in checking medics and verifying patients takes away from the patient's time." According to Zahran, the level of violence in Tulkarem is like no other he has witnessed before. “I’ve been obstructed before, and they’ve invaded Tulkarem before, but this time it’s a different type of aggression.” As medics were detained while on duty, journalists were targeted with stun grenades, teargas, and live ammunition. At least one journalist, Nagham Al- Zayet was injured with shrapnel in Tulkarem. From Gaza to the West Bank In the first three weeks of the new year, Israeli forces killed 26 Palestinians, including four children. In the last ten days—since the Gaza ceasefire and the launch of Operation Iron Wall—the Israeli military has killed 37 Palestinians in the West Bank, including four children. “This is not random,” Roshdi Al-Norsi, a 43-year-old resident of Jenin refugee camp, told Drop Site. “This assault comes amid the release of Palestinian detainees and the suspension of bombs on Gaza. What Israel is {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 64     telling us, is that we are not allowed to celebrate anything, not the release of the detainees, not the resistance, nothing.” Israeli battalions that served in Gaza—including members of the Kfir brigades and the Skylark unit—have been deployed in Jenin as part of Operation Iron Wall. “Look, over there in the distance. That smoke you see, that’s my home,” Abu Nizar, 63, told Drop Site. Standing on a hill overlooking Jenin refugee camp, he struggled to contain his grief. “Israel is vengeful, they see Jenin as Gaza, so as they leave Gaza with the ceasefire they’re coming here. After here, it’s the rest of the West Bank.” Leave a comment Upgrade to paid A guest post by Mariam Barghouti Mariam Barghouti is a writer and a journalist based in the West Bank. She is a member of the Marie Colvin Journalist Network. Subscribe to Mariam Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber Drop Site News is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Upgrade to paid {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 65     A paid subscription gets you: Subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL Post comments and join the community The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of the powerful miserable You can also now find us on podcast platforms and on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, Telegram, and YouTube. LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Drop Site News, Inc.Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NWSte 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 Unsubscribe {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 66     From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; Council, City; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; JayBoyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Bill Newell; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Braden Cartwright; EPA Today; DianaDiamond; Doug Minkler; Gerry Gras; Palo Alto Free Press; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; PatM; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Dave Price; dennis burns; Marty Wasserman; h.etzko@gmail.com; HumanRelations Commission; Kaloma Smith; Holman, Karen (external); Tom DuBois; Tim James; Templeton, Cari; CaitJames; Lewis james; Marina Lopez; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Cecilia Taylor; The Office of Mayor MattMahan; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Zelkha, Mila; Michelle; Foley, Michael;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Mickie Winkler; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto;planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Anna Griffin; Cribbs, Anne; Daniel Kottke;kamhialison@gmail.com; josh@joshsalcman.com; Vicki Veenker; Raymond Goins; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov;qy2103@columbia.edu; Jack Ajluni; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Sandy Perry-HCA; San José Spotlight; JenniferMorrow San José Spotlight; Jessica Speiser; Vara Ramakrishnan; Steve Wagstaffe; Lotus Fong; Friends ofCubberley; Gennady Sheyner; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Barberini, Christopher; Stump, Molly Subject:Re: Israel Escalates West Bank Military Assault, Invading Areas Across the North Date:Friday, January 31, 2025 2:51:35 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Fri, Jan 31, 2025 at 2:19 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Israel Escalates West Bank MilitaryAssault, Invading Areas Across theNorth Israel’s defense minister says troops will remain in Jenin refugee campindefinitely MARIAM BARGHOUTI JAN 31 ∙GUEST POST READ IN APP {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 67     The funeral ceremony of 10 Palestinians killed in an Israeli attack on Tamoun, a village in Tubas, West Bank on January 30, 2025. (Photo by Nedal Eshtayah/Anadolu via Getty Images) JENIN AND TULKAREM—An Israeli airstrike on a crowded neighborhood in the village of Tamoun in the northern West Bank on Wednesday killed at least 10 Palestinians, one of the single deadliest strikes in the West Bank in months. Minutes later, Israeli forces raided the city of Qalqilya and surrounding areas, escalating the military assault. Israeli troops backed by drones and fighter jets have now taken hold of all of the major districts in the north of the occupied territory. Barely 48 hours after the “ceasefire” in Gaza came into effect on January 19, Israel announced “Operation Iron Wall,” a large-scale military operation to “defeat {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 68     terrorism in Jenin.” What began in the Jenin refugee camp has expanded to Tulkarem, Tubas, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Jericho. Dozens of homes have been destroyed and thousands of families have been forcibly displaced. In the span of 10 days, at least 37 Palestinians have been killed, including a two-year-old who was shot with a bullet to the head at home in Jenin. A group of UN special rapporteurs released a statement this week saying the Israeli military operation in the West Bank “marks a dangerous escalation against Palestinians.” “We are dismayed by the escalation of deadly violence sweeping through Jenin and the rest of the occupied West Bank,” the UN experts said. “Israel's repression seems to have no end in sight…The heightened assault on the occupied West Bank is part of an overall process of Palestinian forced displacement and replacement and the territorial expansion of Israel.” In a publicized visit to the Jenin camp on Wednesday, Israeli defense minister Israel Katz, declared that troops would maintain a permanent presence there once the military operation was over. “We have declared war on Palestinian terror in the West Bank,” he said. “After the operation is completed, IDF forces will remain in the camp to ensure that terror does not return.” Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Upgrade to paid Depopulating Jenin refugee camp Within the first few hours of Operation Iron Wall, the Israeli army killed at least 11 Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp, the vast majority of them civilians. Over the next three days, Israeli forces began systematically depopulating the camp— bombing neighborhoods, firing live ammunition, and bulldozing streets and {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 69     homes. “All we heard from the drones was ‘get out of your homes or we will kill you.’ We got afraid, and we left with only the clothes we had on,” said Haniyeh Dabayah, a 73-year-old resident who says she escaped the camp while being shot at by the Israeli army. Within days, the camp had been largely emptied, with thousands of families forced to take refuge in neighboring villages, staying either with relatives or friends, not knowing if or when they could return. While Israeli military raids on the Jenin refugee camp have become common in the last three years, Operation Iron Wall set a new precedent by attacking the entire governorate of Jenin—which includes Jenin city and refugee camp and surrounding villages and towns—placing it on lockdown for days, with families unable to leave their homes as Israeli warplanes bombed sites across the area. Dubbing it the “Wasps Nest,” Israeli military and intelligence have long targeted Jenin as a stronghold of armed resistance. Although relatively small and impoverished, Jenin refugee camp has been one of the few areas in the West Bank that has managed to organize armed groups across factional lines into the Jenin Brigade. However, according to residents from the camp and other sources, most of the fighters in the Jenin Brigade left the camp early on in the Israeli operation. Only a handful opted to remain and confront the Israeli military. A day before the latest Israeli invasion, Palestinian Authority security forces had concluded their own large-scale offensive on the camp dubbed Operation Home, one of the longest and most lethal assaults by Palestinian security forces in recent memory. At least 11 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians, including one child. Security forces also arbitrarily detained dozens of residents and subjected them to torture and abuse. The Israeli army invaded while Palestinian Authority armored vehicles and soldiers were still in the camp. “[The security forces] chose to withdraw from the camp in order to avoid direct confrontation with the Israeli army,” the Palestinian Authority security forces’ spokesperson, Gen. Brig. Anwar Rajab, said in a statement. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 70     As the Israeli military conducted airstrikes on Jenin refugee camp, the Palestinian Authority detained several prominent Jenin Brigade fighters, including their spokesperson Abu Issam, as they were escaping. With most of the fighters relocated outside the camp, the Israeli military began a campaign of “mowing the lawn,” in which residential buildings were bombed, bulldozed, and set ablaze. While journalists were again denied entry, the sounds of explosions and the sight of smoke from inside the camp were continuous. By the seventh day, the majority of the camp had been destroyed. According to the Israeli military, more than 60 houses in Jenin were demolished and at least 3,000 families have been displaced, according to the UN. At the same time, Israel attacked neighboring towns and villages with drone strikes and ground troops. “The sound of drones was so loud and close I thought they were in the house,” said Sameeh Hazza, a resident of Muthalath Shuhada, a small town southwest of Jenin. His two-year-old niece Laila Khateeb was shot in the head and killed on Saturday while in her home. “What did she do wrong?” Hazza says standing by her grave moments after the burial. “We were preparing to eat dinner and all we saw were red and green lasers in the house, then the bullets poured in.” An elderly Palestinian man stands in the middle of a destroyed market during an Israeli military raid on the city of Tulkarem and Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Assault on Tulkarem By the second week, the operation had expanded to the governorate of Tulkarem, southwest of Jenin. On the morning of January 27, an airstrike on a car outside the Nour Shams refugee camp, located just outside the city of Tulkarem, killed two Palestinian fighters. Moments later, another airstrike hit Tulkarem refugee camp. Within hours, Israeli bulldozers and soldiers were deployed deep into the city of {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 71     Tulkarem. The main market was quickly emptied while the public hospital was encircled and put under siege. Similar to the operation in Jenin, the Israeli army began by targeting critical infrastructure in the city—destroying telecommunication networks and water mains. “We were forced out of our home at gunpoint while explosions continued in the camp,” said Azza Kahle, 35. A mother of five, Kahle told Drop Site that she had never before witnessed this level of violence. “We weren’t allowed to take anything except our phones and the clothes we were wearing,” she said. “Now we’re displaced, with nowhere to go and my children are cold.” Some families managed to reach the homes of relatives on the outskirts of Tulkarem, but dozens had nowhere to go and were forced to take shelter in the local mosque. The Israeli military continued to escalate its attack, bulldozing streets and displacing dozens of families in the city itself. Many families were forced out of their homes at gunpoint as soldiers stationed snipers inside them and turned residential buildings into makeshift military posts. “The Israeli army is besieging the entire city with an unprecedented number of soldiers sprawled across the area,” said Tariq Hishme, a journalism student from Tulkarem. “This did not even happen in this way during the Second Intifada, and the targeting of the city itself marks a terrifying and new escalation,” he said. The Israeli military also obstructed medical personnel and journalists from accessing certain areas. As the army besieged the hospital, patients were unable to receive proper medical care. “I need to give birth,” said a pregnant woman as she stood several meters away from the hospital in the cold. It took medics hours to be able to coordinate her entry into the hospital. “The goal of the Israeli forces besieging hospitals is to obstruct medics from reaching the wounded,” Ahmad Zahran, the deputy chief of emergency care in Thabit public hospital, told Drop Site. “They take hours in their security check,” he said. “The time they take in checking medics and verifying patients takes away from the patient's time." {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 72     According to Zahran, the level of violence in Tulkarem is like no other he has witnessed before. “I’ve been obstructed before, and they’ve invaded Tulkarem before, but this time it’s a different type of aggression.” As medics were detained while on duty, journalists were targeted with stun grenades, teargas, and live ammunition. At least one journalist, Nagham Al-Zayet was injured with shrapnel in Tulkarem. From Gaza to the West Bank In the first three weeks of the new year, Israeli forces killed 26 Palestinians, including four children. In the last ten days—since the Gaza ceasefire and the launch of Operation Iron Wall—the Israeli military has killed 37 Palestinians in the West Bank, including four children. “This is not random,” Roshdi Al-Norsi, a 43-year-old resident of Jenin refugee camp, told Drop Site. “This assault comes amid the release of Palestinian detainees and the suspension of bombs on Gaza. What Israel is telling us, is that we are not allowed to celebrate anything, not the release of the detainees, not the resistance, nothing.” Israeli battalions that served in Gaza—including members of the Kfir brigades and the Skylark unit—have been deployed in Jenin as part of Operation Iron Wall. “Look, over there in the distance. That smoke you see, that’s my home,” Abu Nizar, 63, told Drop Site. Standing on a hill overlooking Jenin refugee camp, he struggled to contain his grief. “Israel is vengeful, they see Jenin as Gaza, so as they leave Gaza with the ceasefire they’re coming here. After here, it’s the rest of the West Bank.” Leave a comment Upgrade to paid {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 73     A guest post by Mariam Barghouti Mariam Barghouti is a writer and a journalist based in the West Bank. She is a member of the Marie Colvin Journalist Network. Subscribe to Mariam Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber Drop Site News is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Upgrade to paid A paid subscription gets you: Subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL Post comments and join the community The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of the powerful miserable You can also now find us on podcast platforms and on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, Telegram, and YouTube. LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Drop Site News, Inc.Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NWSte 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 Unsubscribe {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 74     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 75     From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Reckdahl, Keith; Council, City; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; JayBoyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Bill Newell; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Braden Cartwright; EPA Today; DianaDiamond; Doug Minkler; Gerry Gras; Palo Alto Free Press; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Patrice Ventresca; PatM; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Dave Price; dennis burns; Marty Wasserman; h.etzko@gmail.com; HumanRelations Commission; Kaloma Smith; Holman, Karen (external); Tom DuBois; Tim James; Templeton, Cari; CaitJames; Lewis james; Marina Lopez; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Cecilia Taylor; The Office of Mayor MattMahan; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Zelkha, Mila; Michelle; Foley, Michael;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Mickie Winkler; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto;planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Anna Griffin; Cribbs, Anne; Daniel Kottke;kamhialison@gmail.com; josh@joshsalcman.com; Vicki Veenker; Raymond Goins; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov;qy2103@columbia.edu Subject:Israel Escalates West Bank Military Assault, Invading Areas Across the North Date:Friday, January 31, 2025 2:20:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Israel Escalates West Bank MilitaryAssault, Invading Areas Across theNorth Israel’s defense minister says troops will remain in Jenin refugee campindefinitely MARIAM BARGHOUTI JAN 31 ∙GUEST POST READ IN APP {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 76     The funeral ceremony of 10 Palestinians killed in an Israeli attack on Tamoun, a village in Tubas, West Bank on January 30, 2025. (Photo by Nedal Eshtayah/Anadolu via Getty Images) JENIN AND TULKAREM—An Israeli airstrike on a crowded neighborhood in the village of Tamoun in the northern West Bank on Wednesday killed at least 10 Palestinians, one of the single deadliest strikes in the West Bank in months. Minutes later, Israeli forces raided the city of Qalqilya and surrounding areas, escalating the military assault. Israeli troops backed by drones and fighter jets have now taken hold of all of the major districts in the north of the occupied territory. Barely 48 hours after the “ceasefire” in Gaza came into effect on January 19, Israel announced “Operation Iron Wall,” a large-scale military operation to “defeat {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 77     terrorism in Jenin.” What began in the Jenin refugee camp has expanded to Tulkarem, Tubas, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Jericho. Dozens of homes have been destroyed and thousands of families have been forcibly displaced. In the span of 10 days, at least 37 Palestinians have been killed, including a two-year-old who was shot with a bullet to the head at home in Jenin. A group of UN special rapporteurs released a statement this week saying the Israeli military operation in the West Bank “marks a dangerous escalation against Palestinians.” “We are dismayed by the escalation of deadly violence sweeping through Jenin and the rest of the occupied West Bank,” the UN experts said. “Israel's repression seems to have no end in sight…The heightened assault on the occupied West Bank is part of an overall process of Palestinian forced displacement and replacement and the territorial expansion of Israel.” In a publicized visit to the Jenin camp on Wednesday, Israeli defense minister Israel Katz, declared that troops would maintain a permanent presence there once the military operation was over. “We have declared war on Palestinian terror in the West Bank,” he said. “After the operation is completed, IDF forces will remain in the camp to ensure that terror does not return.” Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Upgrade to paid Depopulating Jenin refugee camp Within the first few hours of Operation Iron Wall, the Israeli army killed at least 11 Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp, the vast majority of them civilians. Over the next three days, Israeli forces began systematically depopulating the camp— bombing neighborhoods, firing live ammunition, and bulldozing streets and {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 78     homes. “All we heard from the drones was ‘get out of your homes or we will kill you.’ We got afraid, and we left with only the clothes we had on,” said Haniyeh Dabayah, a 73-year-old resident who says she escaped the camp while being shot at by the Israeli army. Within days, the camp had been largely emptied, with thousands of families forced to take refuge in neighboring villages, staying either with relatives or friends, not knowing if or when they could return. While Israeli military raids on the Jenin refugee camp have become common in the last three years, Operation Iron Wall set a new precedent by attacking the entire governorate of Jenin—which includes Jenin city and refugee camp and surrounding villages and towns—placing it on lockdown for days, with families unable to leave their homes as Israeli warplanes bombed sites across the area. Dubbing it the “Wasps Nest,” Israeli military and intelligence have long targeted Jenin as a stronghold of armed resistance. Although relatively small and impoverished, Jenin refugee camp has been one of the few areas in the West Bank that has managed to organize armed groups across factional lines into the Jenin Brigade. However, according to residents from the camp and other sources, most of the fighters in the Jenin Brigade left the camp early on in the Israeli operation. Only a handful opted to remain and confront the Israeli military. A day before the latest Israeli invasion, Palestinian Authority security forces had concluded their own large-scale offensive on the camp dubbed Operation Home, one of the longest and most lethal assaults by Palestinian security forces in recent memory. At least 11 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians, including one child. Security forces also arbitrarily detained dozens of residents and subjected them to torture and abuse. The Israeli army invaded while Palestinian Authority armored vehicles and soldiers were still in the camp. “[The security forces] chose to withdraw from the camp in order to avoid direct confrontation with the Israeli army,” the Palestinian Authority security forces’ spokesperson, Gen. Brig. Anwar Rajab, said in a statement. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 79     As the Israeli military conducted airstrikes on Jenin refugee camp, the Palestinian Authority detained several prominent Jenin Brigade fighters, including their spokesperson Abu Issam, as they were escaping. With most of the fighters relocated outside the camp, the Israeli military began a campaign of “mowing the lawn,” in which residential buildings were bombed, bulldozed, and set ablaze. While journalists were again denied entry, the sounds of explosions and the sight of smoke from inside the camp were continuous. By the seventh day, the majority of the camp had been destroyed. According to the Israeli military, more than 60 houses in Jenin were demolished and at least 3,000 families have been displaced, according to the UN. At the same time, Israel attacked neighboring towns and villages with drone strikes and ground troops. “The sound of drones was so loud and close I thought they were in the house,” said Sameeh Hazza, a resident of Muthalath Shuhada, a small town southwest of Jenin. His two-year-old niece Laila Khateeb was shot in the head and killed on Saturday while in her home. “What did she do wrong?” Hazza says standing by her grave moments after the burial. “We were preparing to eat dinner and all we saw were red and green lasers in the house, then the bullets poured in.” An elderly Palestinian man stands in the middle of a destroyed market during an Israeli military raid on the city of Tulkarem and Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Assault on Tulkarem By the second week, the operation had expanded to the governorate of Tulkarem, southwest of Jenin. On the morning of January 27, an airstrike on a car outside the Nour Shams refugee camp, located just outside the city of Tulkarem, killed two Palestinian fighters. Moments later, another airstrike hit Tulkarem refugee camp. Within hours, Israeli bulldozers and soldiers were deployed deep into the city of {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 80     Tulkarem. The main market was quickly emptied while the public hospital was encircled and put under siege. Similar to the operation in Jenin, the Israeli army began by targeting critical infrastructure in the city—destroying telecommunication networks and water mains. “We were forced out of our home at gunpoint while explosions continued in the camp,” said Azza Kahle, 35. A mother of five, Kahle told Drop Site that she had never before witnessed this level of violence. “We weren’t allowed to take anything except our phones and the clothes we were wearing,” she said. “Now we’re displaced, with nowhere to go and my children are cold.” Some families managed to reach the homes of relatives on the outskirts of Tulkarem, but dozens had nowhere to go and were forced to take shelter in the local mosque. The Israeli military continued to escalate its attack, bulldozing streets and displacing dozens of families in the city itself. Many families were forced out of their homes at gunpoint as soldiers stationed snipers inside them and turned residential buildings into makeshift military posts. “The Israeli army is besieging the entire city with an unprecedented number of soldiers sprawled across the area,” said Tariq Hishme, a journalism student from Tulkarem. “This did not even happen in this way during the Second Intifada, and the targeting of the city itself marks a terrifying and new escalation,” he said. The Israeli military also obstructed medical personnel and journalists from accessing certain areas. As the army besieged the hospital, patients were unable to receive proper medical care. “I need to give birth,” said a pregnant woman as she stood several meters away from the hospital in the cold. It took medics hours to be able to coordinate her entry into the hospital. “The goal of the Israeli forces besieging hospitals is to obstruct medics from reaching the wounded,” Ahmad Zahran, the deputy chief of emergency care in Thabit public hospital, told Drop Site. “They take hours in their security check,” he said. “The time they take in checking medics and verifying patients takes away from the patient's time." {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 81     According to Zahran, the level of violence in Tulkarem is like no other he has witnessed before. “I’ve been obstructed before, and they’ve invaded Tulkarem before, but this time it’s a different type of aggression.” As medics were detained while on duty, journalists were targeted with stun grenades, teargas, and live ammunition. At least one journalist, Nagham Al-Zayet was injured with shrapnel in Tulkarem. From Gaza to the West Bank In the first three weeks of the new year, Israeli forces killed 26 Palestinians, including four children. In the last ten days—since the Gaza ceasefire and the launch of Operation Iron Wall—the Israeli military has killed 37 Palestinians in the West Bank, including four children. “This is not random,” Roshdi Al-Norsi, a 43-year-old resident of Jenin refugee camp, told Drop Site. “This assault comes amid the release of Palestinian detainees and the suspension of bombs on Gaza. What Israel is telling us, is that we are not allowed to celebrate anything, not the release of the detainees, not the resistance, nothing.” Israeli battalions that served in Gaza—including members of the Kfir brigades and the Skylark unit—have been deployed in Jenin as part of Operation Iron Wall. “Look, over there in the distance. That smoke you see, that’s my home,” Abu Nizar, 63, told Drop Site. Standing on a hill overlooking Jenin refugee camp, he struggled to contain his grief. “Israel is vengeful, they see Jenin as Gaza, so as they leave Gaza with the ceasefire they’re coming here. After here, it’s the rest of the West Bank.” Leave a comment Upgrade to paid {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 82     A guest post by Mariam Barghouti Mariam Barghouti is a writer and a journalist based in the West Bank. She is a member of the Marie Colvin Journalist Network. Subscribe to Mariam Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber Drop Site News is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Upgrade to paid A paid subscription gets you: Subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL Post comments and join the community The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of the powerful miserable You can also now find us on podcast platforms and on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, Telegram, and YouTube. LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Drop Site News, Inc.Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NWSte 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 Unsubscribe {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 83     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 84     From:Tracey Doull To:Lauing, Ed; Stone, Greer; Human Relations Commission Subject:Fw: Councilmember under fire for questioning antisemitic comments Date:Wednesday, January 29, 2025 11:34:51 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Mayor Lauing, Councilmember Stone & Mr. Barr and Staff, I wanted to bump this up in your inbox. Please reach out with any questions or if I can provide any additional information. We would welcome the opportunity to connect with you! Best, Tracey From: Tracey Doull Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2025 9:59 AM To: Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org <Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Greer.Stone@CityofPaloAlto.org <Greer.Stone@CityofPaloAlto.org>; hrc@cityofpaloalto.org <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Councilmember under fire for questioning antisemitic comments Dear Mayor Lauing, Councilmember Stone and Mr. Barr & staff, In light of the recent report in the Palo Alto Daily post calling out councilmember Julie Lythcott-Haims for questioning antisemitic comments as hate speech and the upset it is causing your constituents and community, I wanted to reach out to you. I’m the regional director for The Focus Project. We support officials, educators, and organizations in their efforts to respond to incidents of antisemitism, with information and resources. Our aim is to help those facing issues speak with more consistency and clarity, so that their messaging has greater impact and reach with the general public. Our weekly bulletin is especially useful for elected officials, educators and community leaders who must quickly ascertain the consensus of the mainstream American Jewish community. We provide our information free of charge and with no obligations. The Focus Project is a consensus effort of major American Jewish organizations - from right, center and left - that provides credible and accurate weekly news and talking points on issues affecting the American Jewish community and Israel, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and more. To find out more about The Focus Project or to sign up for our weekly bulletin and/ or news briefs click here. If you have any questions or believe others in your community {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 85     would benefit from materials or information, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Sincerely, Tracey Doull The Focus Project - Regional Outreach Director {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 86     From:Aram James To:Lythcott-Haims, Julie Cc:Raymond Goins; Gerry Gras; h.etzko@gmail.com; Human Relations Commission; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; EPA Today; Anna Griffin; Cribbs, Anne; Cait James; Templeton, Cari; Josh Becker; John Burt; Doug Minkler; Marina Lopez Subject:Re: Scholar Raz Segal recounts the strange experience of being attacked as an antisemite, despite being Jewishhimself and studying the Holocaust and other genocide… Date:Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:19:51 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Tue, Jan 28, 2025 at 9:09 AM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:Accusing us of antisemitism for the way we identify as Jews reproduces the antisemitic view that denies plural Jewish identities to cast all Jews as one and the same, ‘the Jews.’ Scholar Raz Segal recounts the strange experience of being attacked as an antisemite, despite being Jewish himself and studying the Holocaust and other genocide… Raz Segal: Genocide Denial in Holocaust Studies https://search.app/5WvwdkSs9fwM5nkx5 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 87     From:Aram James To:Sean Allen Cc:Martin Wasserman; Carla; Sharon Jackson; Pat M; Sarah Wright; lasha heard; Raymond Goins; James Staten; William Armaline; Habtegabriel Mulugeta; Rose Lynn; DAVID 4X; Raj Jayadev; Richard Konda; Jose Valle; Sameena Usman; Don Austin; board@pausd.org; Yolanda Conaway; Council, City; h.etzko@gmail.com; Lythcott- Haims, Julie; Lotus Fong; ladoris cordell; Bill Newell; Sarah Wright; Ed Lauing; Shikada, Ed; Doug Minkler; Mickie Winkler; John Burt; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Rowena Chiu; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Chris Colohan; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Hayden; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Gennady Sheyner; Diana Diamond; Michelle; Stump, Molly; Jack Ajluni; Cait James; Templeton, Cari; Zelkha, Mila; Jax Ajluni; Salem Ajluni; boardfeedback@smcgov.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; Perron, Zachary; Clerk, City; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; EPA Today; Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; Wagner, April; Enberg, Nicholas; Palo Alto Free Press; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Kaloma Smith; dennis burns; Lewis james; Senator Becker; Reifschneider, James; Human Relations Commission; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; DuJuan Green; Gerry Gras; Steve Wagstaffe; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external) Subject:Re: Silicon Valley NAACP - Our Stance Against the Exclusion of Ethnic Studies from the Palo Alto Unified SchoolDistrict Curriculum Date:Monday, January 27, 2025 5:15:49 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. **Date: January 27, 2025** Dear All, As we continue our examination of the genocidal and apartheid nature of the state of Israel, Iwould like to share an important report for us to read and reflect upon. Please feel free to add your own insights and comments on this topic. I hope that this report will inspire manyquestions and further discussion. Best, Avram Finkelstein Amnesty International’s report re Israel’s Apartheid against the Palestinians people. Source: Amnesty International Q&A: Israel’s Apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime against Humanity - Amnesty International https://search.app/SgrjmjHC3zvwieeV8 On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 12:26 PM Sean Allen <sallen6444@yahoo.com> wrote: The Choice for American History to Shine While Ethnic Studies Is Left in the Dark =Explicit Bias Defined! Dear Mr. Wasserman, Your position seems to uphold the status quo, where dominant narratives overshadow the diverse experiences that make up our collective history. It appears your concern is not in {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 88     fostering a comprehensive understanding of history, but rather in perpetuating a version thataligns with your perspective while minimizing or excluding the histories of others. Ethnic studies programs are designed to offer an inclusive curriculum that recognizes the contributions, struggles, and achievements of all groups. This approach is not about vilifyingany particular group or creating divisions; instead, it aims to empower students by providing a complete picture of our nation’s history. Understanding both the triumphs and injustices ofthe past enables students to engage with the present in a more critical and thoughtful manner. Moreover, it raises important questions about why some individuals seek to downplay orerase the histories of others. Traditional American history often prioritizes European contributions while overlooking the effects on Indigenous peoples, the enslavement ofAfricans, and the annexation of territories like California. Education should adopt a more inclusive perspective that acknowledges this legacy. Recognizing the significantcontributions of various groups, particularly immigrants like the Chinese workers who faced prejudice, is crucial. Their vital role in completing the Transcontinental Railroad not onlyconnected the nation but also transformed travel and commerce, underscoring the importance of teaching students about the diverse contributions that have shaped our society. The ideological influences embedded in education are fundamental to the learning process.The most impactful lessons for our youth—the very strength of our future—are learned at home and through their educators. These lessons become imprinted in the minds of youngergenerations, shaping who they ultimately become. It is essential to recognize that our state has the largest prison system in the world, and the reality is that incarceration tends tobenefit those who are not incarcerated. Three common factors associated with incarceration include a lack of affluence, a lack of impulse control, and a lack of education. Consequently,the perspective of the incarcerated is often narrow and limited. By implementing ethnic studies programs, we can engage, inform, and motivate our youth, ensuring they feel connected to their history. This connection not only fosters a sense ofidentity but can also help diminish the troubling statistics surrounding incarceration. Unfortunately, there are those who resist such initiatives because they do not align with theirown narratives, often rooted in racism. Promoting a singular narrative risks denying students the opportunity to learn about thediverse experiences that have shaped our society. This issue transcends individual identities; it speaks to the collective identity of our nation. By acknowledging and celebrating all facetsof history, we can foster a more cohesive and equitable society where every individual can see themselves reflected and valued. The divide we see is often rooted in the inaccuracies and omissions in the narratives being presented. Let me be candid: the environment you describe exists alongside the harshrealities faced by communities of color. In my experience patrolling neighborhoods, I’ve witnessed the elite evade consequences for violent acts while people of color are arrested forminor offenses. I recall responding to a burglary call only to be met with racial slurs demanding the presence of a non-Black officer. Additionally, I have seen a Black childsubjected to violence at the direction of a teacher. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 89     The fears of separation you express may stem from unchecked racism that continues to permeate our society. Children of color, like all children, should be able to embrace theircountry with the confidence that their history is acknowledged and celebrated, allowing them to see themselves as equals. What you propose could inadvertently obscure thishistory, leaving them vulnerable to losing their identity and assimilating into a narrow perspective. America is indeed a powerful and influential country, but we did not achievethis status without facing significant challenges and injustices. For our children to embrace the future, they must understand the complexities of how we arrived here. In conclusion, while it is valid to be cautious about ideological influences in education, it isequally important to recognize the potential of ethnic studies programs to promote empathy, critical thinking, and social responsibility. By engaging with these subjects, we can worktowards a more informed and cohesive society, where all individuals are empowered to contribute positively, rather than being pitted against one another. Best regards, Sean On Jan 26, 2025, at 9:49 AM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote:  Dear Sean, Thank you for your thoughtful message, which I hope will be the beginning of aproductive dialogue. The motivation behind many ethnic studies programs seems to be to advance anideology that divides humanity into two classes, oppressors and their victims,and demands that people always side with the victims against their allegedoppressors, who are often defined by characteristics such as race, religion orsocial class. These programs are aimed not at healing social divisions, but exacerbatingthem. Instead of teaching disadvantaged students that they are active agentswho can improve their circumstances through their own efforts, they teach themthat they are mere victims who can never improve their lives as long as theiroppressors are in power, so they're only recourse is to launch a revolutionagainst those they believe are keeping them down. I believe that Marxist revolutionaries, though they may not entirely dominatethe ethnic studies movement, certainly have a substantial influence on it and areworking hard to increase that influence. Their goal is to stoke social grievances,deepen social divisions and turn different groups against each other in order toweaken us from within and make their revolution easier to accomplish. Marxistideology is profoundly alien to the principles that made America great, and inplaces where it's been tried, it's usually caused much more harm than good. Its {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 90     adherents have deluded themselves into thinking that their path will ultimatelylead to a utopian society, and that they are justified in using any means necessary, no matter how devious or deceitful, to advance it. In my view,allowing these people any influence whatever over the minds of our schoolchildren creates a major risk to the future of our society that must bepushed back upon resolutely. Best regards, Martin WassermanConcerned citizen On Jan 24, 2025, at 2:39 PM, Sean Allen<sallen6444@yahoo.com> wrote: Subject: Re: [Subject of the Original Email] Dear Martin, Thank you for your response and for sharing your perspective on such a complex and sensitive issue. I believe it is essential toengage in constructive dialogue, even when we have differing views. I appreciate your concerns regarding anti-Israel, anti-Western, andanti-American sentiments. However, it is vital to recognize that criticism of any government, including Israel, does not equate toanimosity toward a nation or its people. Engaging in critical discussions about policies and practices can often lead to greaterunderstanding and reconciliation. Labeling the criticism of Israel as mere political indoctrination overlooks the genuine struggles faced by marginalizedcommunities. Discussions about ethnic studies, particularly in relation to Israel and Palestine, aim to educate students abouthistorical injustices and encourage empathy for all people involved. This educational approach is not about demonizing any group, butrather about fostering understanding and promoting justice. You mentioned that America is the most powerful country, and I agree that this strength is significant. However, it's crucial torecognize that this power does not solely derive from the elite or those in positions of privilege. Instead, it is built upon the hardwork, resilience, and contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds, particularly those from marginalized communitieswho have served this nation in various capacities. It is worth noting that the majority—and almost all—of the elite politicians in ourgovernment have managed to escape military service, as have many from their legacies. This reality raises important questions about {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 91     whose sacrifices are acknowledged and how power dynamics shapeour national narrative. As a veteran and a person who has spent over three decades serving and protecting this community, I recognize that the best way tohonor the sacrifices made by those who served—many of whom lost their lives—is to not minimize the reasons for their service.Their commitment was to ensure that all individuals are protected by our country's Constitution, which includes the rights of thosewho choose to kneel or stand in the presence of our national flag. Furthermore, calling someone "anti-American" because they areredressing government bias and oppression is a response that highlights explicit bias. It dismisses legitimate grievances andignores the foundational principles of our democracy, which include the right to dissent and advocate for justice. Throughout history, it has been the laborers, activists, educators,and everyday citizens—those often overlooked by the narratives of power—who have shaped America's identity and values. Theirdedication and sacrifices have been fundamental in advancing civil rights and social justice, ensuring that the principles of freedom andequality are upheld for all. This collective strength is what has truly propelled America forward, highlighting the importance ofinclusivity and recognition of all voices. The collaboration between Black and Jewish communities, as exemplified by the founding of the NAACP, underscores theimportance of solidarity in the fight against oppression. We must recognize that the struggles for justice faced by differentcommunities are interconnected. By standing together against all forms of injustice, we strengthen our collective ability to advocatefor a more equitable society. As we move forward, I encourage us to engage in dialogue that honors the contributions of all communities and seeks to addressinjustices wherever they may arise. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to these important discussions. Best regards, Sean Allen President San Jose Silicon Valley NAACP Sent from my iPhone On Jan 23, 2025, at 10:42 PM, Martin Wasserman <deeperlook@aol.com> wrote: {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 92     The accusation that Israel is committing genocideagainst the Palestinian Arabs is a flat out lie perpetrated solely for the purpose of demonizing theJewish state. The only party in the Israel-Hamas war that has an explicit policy of genocide is Hamas itself,which Avram Finkelstein evidently supports. The issue of ethnic studies is not that people fear mild criticismof Israel. The issue is that this is an organized attempt by anti-American, anti-Western, anti-Israel extremiststo turn our schools into places not of learning, but of political indoctrination, into an ideology which isprofoundly alien to the culture that has made this country, the USA, the best and most successful in theworld. Sincerely, Martin Wasserman On Jan 23, 2025, at 9:20 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: 1/23/2025 Hello everyone, I want to address the ongoing genocide being perpetrated by the state of Israelagainst the Palestinian people, which is happening with the full support of the U.S.government and the Israeli Jewish lobby. My fellow Jews should be deeplyconcerned and feel a sense of fear if we do not actively speak out against thisinjustice. The major issue here is that much of the opposition to ethnic studies is driven bythe influential Jewish lobby in Palo Alto. This lobby is concerned that, during theethnic studies courses, Israel might be criticized, even in a mild manner. Theywill go to great lengths to suppress any perceived criticism of Israel, regardless ofthe impact this has on marginalized groups. As a result, the three newest members of {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 93     the school board seem determined to denyhigh school students in Palo Alto the opportunity to take a mandated ethnicstudies course. It feels like there is an unspoken issue that no one wants toaddress. Sincerely, Avram Finkelstein (also known as Aram James) On Thu, Jan 23, 2025 at 8:19 PM SeanAllen <sallen6444@yahoo.com> wrote: It is. James just just told me. SeanSent from my iPhone On Jan 23, 2025, at 5:46 PM, Aram James<abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:  Excellent! As I understandthe state has in factmandated ethnic studies butnot provided state fundingfor its full guaranteedimplementation in eachdistrict. I hope this isaccurate. On Thu, Jan 23, 2025 at5:35 PM Sean Allen<sallen6444@yahoo.com>wrote: To: Board of Education, Palo Alto Unified SchoolDistrict and the community From: Sean Allen President- San Jose/Silicon ValleyNAACP {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 94     I am writing to express the strong stance of theSan Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP against theexclusion of ethnic studies from thecurriculum of the Palo Alto Unified SchoolDistrict. The discussions surrounding the potentialremoval of this important requirement areconcerning and starkly contrast the values ofinclusivity and equity that our community strives touphold. Our organization has received an alarmingnumber of complaints regarding racial biaswithin the Palo Alto Unified School District—more than any other school district in SantaClara County. These complaints highlight apattern of systemic issues that cannot be ignored.Black students have reported being called the“N” word, subjected to comments about beingowned in the past, and faced derogatory remarksabout their hair and lips. Latino students haveencountered racial slurs, while Pacific Islanderchildren have faced discrimination. Asian,Palestinian, Middle Eastern, Jewish, andLGBTQI+ students have all reported experiencesof bias and harassment. This pervasive culture ofdiscrimination {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 95     underscores the urgentneed for ethnic studies courses, which serve as avital tool for education, understanding, andhealing in our schools. Ethnic studies courses are not merely an academicrequirement; they are an essential component of awell-rounded education that promotes awarenessand appreciation of diverse cultures andhistories. These courses empower students toengage critically with societal issues, fosteringempathy, understanding, and respect for oneanother. The failure to implement ethnic studiesin this district, particularly given theconcerning pattern of discrimination andracism, highlights the level of implicit andexplicit bias supported by those in power. While thestate of California has rejected the mandate andlegislation for ethnic studies, this should not beinterpreted as permission to disregard theimplementation of such a critical piece ofcurriculum. In fact, ethnic studies are vital forshaping how students perceive others who maybe different from themselves, influencinghow they interact with their peers and navigatetheir professional lives, ultimately impactingthemselves and others in {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 96     meaningful ways. It is important to note that several surroundingdistricts, including the Fremont Union HighSchool District, East Side Union High SchoolDistrict, and San Jose Unified School District,have successfully implemented ethnicstudies courses despite the lack of legislativerequirements. These districts recognize thevalue of ethnic studies in promoting a moreinclusive and equitable educational environment,setting a precedent that Palo Alto should follow. The recent decision topause the adoption of the ethnic studies requirementis a step backward in our efforts to create aninclusive environment for all students. We mustadvocate for the reinstatement of thisrequirement, not to comply with statemandates, but to fulfill our moral obligation toour students and community. In the wordsof civil rights leader Angela Davis, “It is notenough to be non-racist; we must be anti-racist.”We must actively work to dismantle the structuresthat perpetuate inequity and promote a curriculumthat reflects the richness and diversity of oursociety. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 97     The San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP standsready to support the Palo Alto Unified SchoolDistrict in this endeavor. We urge the Board ofEducation to reconsider the importance of ethnicstudies and to recognize the profound impact itwill have on our students and community. Byprioritizing these courses, we can begin to addressthe racial biases that have plagued our district andcreate a more equitable educational environmentfor every student. Thank you for your attention to this crucialmatter. We look forward to working together toensure that all students in the Palo Alto UnifiedSchool District feel valued, respected, andempowered. Sincerely, Sean Allen President San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP Cc. NAACP StateSan Jose/Silicon Valley NAACPExecutive Committee Monterey County BranchSan Mateo County BranchAlameda County BranchesSan Francisco City/County Branch {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 98     File {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 99     From:Aram James To:Council, City; Human Relations Commission; h.etzko@gmail.com; Marty Wasserman; Cribbs, Anne; Ed Lauing;George for Palo Alto; Keith Reckdahl; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Braden Cartwright; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; SteveWagstaffe; Bill Newell Subject:Re: Watch ""I Had No Choice But To Walk Away”: Prof. Katherine Franke On The Pro-Israel Campaign Against Her" on YouTube Date:Friday, January 24, 2025 11:26:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Good points, Gerry! On Fri, Jan 24, 2025 at 5:08 PM Gerry Gras <gerrygras@earthlink.net> wrote: A phrase worth remembering, "... what we are seeing is what we call the Palestine exceptions to the first amendment in academic freedom." also "double standard". I guess so. The imbalance in free speech is extreme, and not just in universities. I wonder in the future how will this time be perceived compared to McCarthyism. Gerry On 1/24/25 15:03, Aram James wrote:> Very important piece. >> > https://youtu.be/bwwxQ9uyWzk?si=5OXmvAS9CYFihM9C {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 100     From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com; Preminger, Steve; Bill Newell; Marty Wasserman; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg;bos@smcgov.org; Jay Boyarsky; Tim James; John Burt; Marina Lopez; Tim James; Cait James;board@pausd.org; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Sean Allen; RaymondGoins; Mickie Winkler; Linda Jolley; Josh Becker; Zelkha, Mila; Rowena Chiu; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Diana Diamond;Sarah Wright; editor@paweekly.com; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; EPA Today; Wagner, April; Enberg, Nicholas;Gennady Sheyner; Jeff Hayden; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Palo Alto Free Press; Kaloma Smith; dennis burns;Human Relations Commission; Cribbs, Anne; Templeton, Cari; yolanda; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Pat M;Burt, Patrick; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Cecilia Taylor;planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Ed Lauing; Council,City; Gerry Gras; DuJuan Green Subject:Watch ""I Had No Choice But To Walk Away”: Prof. Katherine Franke On The Pro-Israel Campaign Against Her" on YouTube Date:Friday, January 24, 2025 3:03:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Very important piece. https://youtu.be/bwwxQ9uyWzk?si=5OXmvAS9CYFihM9C {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 101     From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; josh@joshsalcman.com; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Kaloma Smith; Jeff Rosen;jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Cribbs, Anne; Rowena Chiu; Bill Newell; Council,City; GRP-City Council; DuJuan Green; Marty Wasserman; dennis burns; Dennis Upton; Palo Alto Free Press;Lotus Fong; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Yolanda Conaway; Donette Gamblin; Friends of Cubberley; Figueroa,Eric; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Gennady Sheyner; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Barberini, Christopher;Nicole Chiu-Wang; Michelle; Jack Ajluni; Salem Ajluni; Doug Minkler; Holman, Karen (external);kamhialison@gmail.com; Sarah Wright; George for Palo Alto; Keith Reckdahl; Don Austin; Foley, Michael; ChrisColohan; Stump, Molly; Doria Summa; Emily Mibach; Dave Price; Lewis james; Ed Lauing; editor@paweekly.com;Shikada, Ed; Afanasiev, Alex; Human Relations Commission; h.etzko@gmail.com; Roberta Ahlquist;bos@smcgov.org; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations Subject:Re: Silicon Valley NAACP - Our Stance Against the Exclusion of Ethnic Studies from the Palo Alto Unified School District Curriculum Date:Thursday, January 23, 2025 10:01:01 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi folks. Last minute change. The board voted in favor of the mandated ethnic studies course on a 3-2 vote. I couldn't be happier. Third vote was Josh Salcman. Good going Josh! You are my hero. Avram Finkelstein On Thu, Jan 23, 2025 at 5:46 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:Excellent! As I understand the state has in fact mandated ethnic studies but not provided state funding for its full guaranteed implementation in each district. I hope this is accurate. On Thu, Jan 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM Sean Allen <sallen6444@yahoo.com> wrote: To: Board of Education, Palo Alto Unified School District and the community From: Sean Allen President- San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP I am writing to express the strong stance of the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP against the exclusion of ethnic studies from the curriculum of the Palo Alto Unified SchoolDistrict. The discussions surrounding the potential removal of this important requirement are concerning and starkly contrast the values of inclusivity and equity that ourcommunity strives to uphold. Our organization has received an alarming number of complaints regarding racial bias within the Palo Alto Unified School District—more than any other school district in SantaClara County. These complaints highlight a pattern of systemic issues that cannot be ignored. Black students have reported being called the “N” word, subjected to commentsabout being owned in the past, and faced derogatory remarks about their hair and lips. Latino students have encountered racial slurs, while Pacific Islander children have faceddiscrimination. Asian, Palestinian, Middle Eastern, Jewish, and LGBTQI+ students have all reported experiences of bias and harassment. This pervasive culture of discriminationunderscores the urgent need for ethnic studies courses, which serve as a vital tool for education, understanding, and healing in our schools. Ethnic studies courses are not merely an academic requirement; they are an essential {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 102     component of a well-rounded education that promotes awareness and appreciation ofdiverse cultures and histories. These courses empower students to engage critically with societal issues, fostering empathy, understanding, and respect for one another. The failureto implement ethnic studies in this district, particularly given the concerning pattern of discrimination and racism, highlights the level of implicit and explicit bias supported bythose in power. While the state of California has rejected the mandate and legislation for ethnic studies, this should not be interpreted as permission to disregard the implementationof such a critical piece of curriculum. In fact, ethnic studies are vital for shaping how students perceive others who may be different from themselves, influencing how theyinteract with their peers and navigate their professional lives, ultimately impacting themselves and others in meaningful ways. It is important to note that several surrounding districts, including the Fremont Union High School District, East Side Union High School District, and San Jose Unified SchoolDistrict, have successfully implemented ethnic studies courses despite the lack of legislative requirements. These districts recognize the value of ethnic studies in promotinga more inclusive and equitable educational environment, setting a precedent that Palo Alto should follow. The recent decision to pause the adoption of the ethnic studies requirement is a stepbackward in our efforts to create an inclusive environment for all students. We must advocate for the reinstatement of this requirement, not to comply with state mandates, butto fulfill our moral obligation to our students and community. In the words of civil rights leader Angela Davis, “It is not enough to be non-racist; we must be anti-racist.” We mustactively work to dismantle the structures that perpetuate inequity and promote a curriculum that reflects the richness and diversity of our society. The San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP stands ready to support the Palo Alto Unified SchoolDistrict in this endeavor. We urge the Board of Education to reconsider the importance of ethnic studies and to recognize the profound impact it will have on our students andcommunity. By prioritizing these courses, we can begin to address the racial biases that have plagued our district and create a more equitable educational environment for everystudent. Thank you for your attention to this crucial matter. We look forward to working together to ensure that all students in the Palo Alto Unified School District feel valued, respected,and empowered. Sincerely, Sean Allen President San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP Cc. NAACP State San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACPExecutive Committee {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 103     Monterey County BranchSan Mateo County Branch Alameda County BranchesSan Francisco City/County Branch File {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 104     From:Tracey Doull To:Lauing, Ed; Stone, Greer; Human Relations Commission Subject:Councilmember under fire for questioning antisemitic comments Date:Thursday, January 23, 2025 6:59:46 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing, Councilmember Stone and Mr. Barr & staff, In light of the recent report in the Palo Alto Daily post calling out councilmember Julie Lythcott-Haims for questioning antisemitic comments as hate speech and the upset it is causing your constituents and community, I wanted to reach out to you. I’m the regional director for The Focus Project. We support officials, educators, and organizations in their efforts to respond to incidents of antisemitism, with information and resources. Our aim is to help those facing issues speak with more consistency and clarity, so that their messaging has greater impact and reach with the general public. Our weekly bulletin is especially useful for elected officials, educators and community leaders who must quickly ascertain the consensus of the mainstream American Jewish community. We provide our information free of charge and with no obligations. The Focus Project is a consensus effort of major American Jewish organizations - from right, center and left - that provides credible and accurate weekly news and talking points on issues affecting the American Jewish community and Israel, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and more. To find out more about The Focus Project or to sign up for our weekly bulletin and/ or news briefs click here. If you have any questions or believe others in your community would benefit from materials or information, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Sincerely, Tracey Doull The Focus Project - Regional Outreach Director {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 105     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 106     From:Jessica Koehler To:Gaines, Chantal; Pierce, Kojo; liederseberle@gmail.com; pastor@universityamez.com; katie@katiecausey.org;barr@stanford.edu; Human Relations Commission; georgeforpaloalto@gmail.com; me@lythcott-haims.com;mary.kate.stimmler@gmail.com Subject:PARCEO for Antisemitism Training Date:Tuesday, January 21, 2025 3:48:29 PM Attachments:adl-primer-april-2021.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto city council members and other city administration colleagues, As we enter the new year, I'm happy to hear that Palo Alto city council is working to addressbias in our community by partnering with groups who provide comprehensive training. I implore you to adopt the anti-semitism training offered by PARCEO which includes diverseJewish perspectives that the ADL often leaves out. In addition to disregarding diverse voices from their own community, the ADL is known asan organization that targets and harms marginalized communities and specificallyBIPOC folks working towards equity. A fantastic group of educators across the nation, many of whom are Jewish themselves, have come together to detail the history of harmful conductby the ADL in an effort to encourage communities and schools to use alternative resources in addressing anti-semitism. Please take a moment to review their comprehensive overview ofhow the ADL has demonstrated they are not an ally through their support of racist policing, repression of social justice movements led by BIPOC/immigrant/queer folks, and support ofactual anti-Semites. Just yesterday, the ADL defended a Nazi salute performed by Elon Musk as simply 'awkward', despite him completing the gesture twice. That they excused anti-semitism from a rich white man in the context of their history of wrongly vilifying the justice work of BIPOC folks and people from their own community makes it clear that the ADLapproaches anti-bias from a biased perspective. We should not welcome this in our community. Please adopt PARCEO's training. Sincerely,Jessica Former Palo Alto resident, long time Palo Alto employee, and sister of Paly student {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 107     From:Aram James To:Barberini, Christopher; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Human Relations Commission; h.etzko@gmail.com; MartyWasserman; Tim James; Cait James; Council, City; Enberg, Nicholas; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James;dennis burns; DuJuan Green; Wagner, April; Lotus Fong; Nat Fisher; Bill Newell; Josh Becker; board@pausd.org;Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Rosen; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Hayden; EPA Today; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; Dave Price;Diana Diamond; Marina Lopez; Rowena Chiu; Linda Jolley; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com;Afanasiev, Alex; Zelkha, Mila; Doug Minkler; Foley, Michael; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Sarah Wright; PaloAlto Free Press; Mickie Winkler; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Vara Ramakrishnan Subject:San Jose K-9 rips off man"s earlobe, exclusive video shows | KTVU FOX 2 Date:Tuesday, January 21, 2025 11:06:47 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. San Jose K-9 rips off man's earlobe, exclusive video shows | KTVU FOX 2 https://www.ktvu.com/news/san-jose-k-9-rips-mans-face-bites-off-his-ear-exclusive-video-shows {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 108     From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Council, City; board@pausd.org; John Burt; board@valleywater.org; BoardOperations; VaraRamakrishnan; Human Relations Commission; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission;WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Palo Alto Free Press; Burt, Patrick;Raymond Goins; Sean Allen; Senator Becker; Bill Newell; Binder, Andrew; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com;Reifschneider, James; Cait James Subject:Re: Free Palestine! Date:Monday, January 20, 2025 5:42:41 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Mon, Jan 20, 2025 at 11:11 AM Marie Yared - Avaaz <avaaz@avaaz.org> wrote: Sign now {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 109     Finally – after 15 months of devastation, a ceasefire has been declared for Gaza! But the suffering, the occupation, and the fight for freedom continue. This moment is our chance to push key countries to recognise Palestine as a State – bringing the possibility of justice, dignity, and lasting peace. Sign now to make it happen. Sign now to free Palestine! SIGN NOW Dear friends, The ceasefire in Gaza gives us something we’ve longed for: hope. But it doesn’t erase the devastation. It doesn’t end the occupation. It doesn’t bring the freedom millions of Palestinians desperately need. This moment, when the sky over Gaza finally turns quiet, is our chance to push for a lasting solution: the UK, France, and Japan could recognise Palestine as a State – a vital step toward peace and justice. But they’re hesitating under huge pressure from Israel. Let’s urge them to stand on the right side of history and speak up for real peace. More than ever, your voice can make the difference. Freedom for Palestinians starts here - add your name now {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 110     Recognising Palestine means standing against decades of displacement, oppression, and violence. It’s a step toward dismantling illegal settlements, ending the occupation, and giving Palestinians the dignity and security they deserve. Sign now to join the world’s largest campaign for Palestinian recognition. Let’s push world leaders to take action for lasting peace. Freedom for Palestinians starts here - add your name now Recognition alone won’t erase the pain or fix the conflict overnight, but it changes the game. It brings the possibility of justice, a fair peace process, and hope for a future where Palestinians can live in freedom – something generations have never known. We’re 1.7 million strong. Together, we can make this a turning point in history. With hope and determination, Marie, Julian, John, Chris, Mo, Ruth, Liliana and the entire Avaaz team More information: Hamas frees hostages, Israel releases Palestinian prisoners on day one of ceasefire (Reuters) Ireland, Norway, and Spain to recognise Palestinian state (BBC) State Department reviewing options for possible recognition of Palestinian state (Axios) The impact of recognising a Palestinian state (BBC) Avaaz is a 70-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 22 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook, X, or {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 111     Instagram. You became a member of the Avaaz movement and started receiving these emails when you signed "Stop the rape epidemic " on 2014-06-05 using the email address abjpd1@gmail.com. To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please add avaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, contact us, or simply go here to unsubscribe. To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to us at www.avaaz.org/en/contact . Avaaz.org 27 Union Square West Suite 500 New York, NY 10003 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 112     From:Wendy Greenfield To:Gaines, Chantal; Pierce, Kojo Cc:mary.kate.stimmler@gmail.com; liederseberle@gmail.com; pastor@universityamez.com; katie@katiecausey.org; barr@stanford.edu; Human Relations Commission; georgeforpaloalto@gmail.com; me@lythcott-haims.com Subject:The PARCEO curriculum on Antisemitism Date:Monday, January 20, 2025 4:52:45 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Deputy Palo Alto City Manager Chantal Gaimes, Equity and Inclusion Manager Kojo Pierce, and Palo Alto City Council Members and Leadership, I am pleased to hear that the City of Palo Alto is taking the issue of antisemitism seriously and wishes to offer training in this area. As a Jewish woman of conscience, I think it's important to share my thoughts on the two curricula that are being considered, as one of them is actually based on racist ideologies. I would like to recommend the PARCEO curriculum, with its "Participatory ActionResearch framework, which values the experience, kinowledge, and leadership of those most impacted by injustice as we collectively work for transformative change and to build community strength." https://parceo.org/ I note that PARCEO works with community members to develop educational programs, retreats and curricula - just what the city of Palo Alto would want! I am not as pleased to hear that the city is also considering the use of curricula developed by the ADL. In recent years, the ADL has gained a national reputation for curricula that is prejudicial against a number of minorites. There are over 200 community and civil rights organizations, representing African-American, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Arab and lgbtq+ community members, who have recommended that government and community organizations stop using ADL curricula. The ADL has a history of targeting and surveilling progressive movements. droptheadl has documented that the ADL is now the single largest non- governmental police trainer in the country. Following the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville in 2017, it issued a "primer for law enforcement", advising police to film and plant undercover agents among anti-racist protestors. The ADL is not an ally. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 113     I urge the City of Palo Alto to show and continue to develop its progressive, inclusive philosophy by choosing the PARCEO curricula, rather than the racist, neo-liberal curricula that is offered by the ADL. This is a defining moment for Palo Alto - as well as for our country. Please make this decision with the gravity that it deserves. Sincerely, Wendy Greenfield A primerTo our beloved community:The ADL is not an ally. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has branded itself as ... {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 114     From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Council, City; Letters NYT Cc:Office of the Provost; Rebecca Eisenberg; Sue Rosser; Human Relations Commission; Josh Schneider; Roberta Ahlquist Subject:It’s “1898 time” for unintegrated Bay Area Date:Monday, January 20, 2025 3:17:01 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. To the editor: Analyses of the on-going Los Angeles urban wilderness fires have pointed out that a multi-policy of divided, even ifoverlapping, political authorities contributed to an inadequate, albeit heroic, response to an inextricably conjointenvironmental-institutional disaster. Although it is coming too late to respond to current events; Los Angeles votersauthorized an elected county executive, a political leader with the potential to exert, …moral authority andleadership (Nagourney, “Asking Who’s in Charge as Agencies Overlap” NY Times 1/20/25 A13).According to a local academic observer Fernando Guerra, director of Loyola Marymount’s “Center for the Study ofLos Angeles, It’s going to be as centralized as New York is now. That may not be saying much. When Brooklynindependence was lost, due to a lacunae in municipal leadership, the State of New York’s unification policy,creating New York City, left many government functions under oversight and veto authority by the state legislature,allowing persisting partisan political interference. Nevertheless, in our region, only the Bay itself is under a unified state government authorized special district thathas successfully renewed its ecological integrity, although there is still much to be done including reparations to themy I Bay by returning Palo Alto Airport to its rightful “owner. As a perceptive KQED documentary series shows,this hard won public advancement was achieved by a coalition of female activists, club women and gardeners, ledby Mrs Clark Kerr, wife of the iconic Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, who had conveningauthority and community organizing skills. As pointed out in the recent Palo Alto city council election, there are an array of problems, like an outdated railroadcut aka “Suicide Alley” that can only be addressed by a broader authority as well addressing the conditions that willexacerbate the inevitable urban wilderness fire that will occur after a similar period of rainfall lack as experiencedby Southern California. An analogous event may only be six months away, with similar calamitous consequence.Even if coordinated action is undertaken, a climate change exacerbated disaster may still occur. Nevertheless, ashumans with foresight abilities and the responsibility left to us by AI to ask relevant questions, it is incumbent uponcitizens and elected officials to rise up and meet the challenges of our era! SincerelyHenry EtzkowitzPrincipal, Sustainable City Consulting Group “Defensible Urban Development”1766 Sand Hill RoadPalo Alto CA 94304(646) 701 2695 Sent from my iPhone {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 115     From:Emma Hartung To:Gaines, Chantal; Pierce, Kojo Cc:mary.kate.stimmler@gmail.com; liederseberle@gmail.com; pastor@universityamez.com; katie@katiecausey.org; barr@stanford.edu; Human Relations Commission; georgeforpaloalto@gmail.com; me@lythcott-haims.com Subject:Antisemitism training - Consider PARCEO, and skip the ADL/AJC Date:Monday, January 20, 2025 12:26:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto city council and staff, While I am heartened to hear that the city is adopting training to counter antisemitism andIslamophobia, I know that there is a wide range of training available and some of it does more harm than good. I am writing as a local Jewish community member (graduated from and currently working atStanford) to urge you to adopt the comprehensive, intersectional, inclusive training developed by the organization PARCEO, which other local organizations have undergone with excellentfeedback. I have seen some PARCEO materials and can attest that they are excellent, clear, actionable and effectively place combating antisemitism in context as an essential part of ournecessary efforts to combat all forms of oppression. Additionally, I urge you to avoid any and all partnerships with the ADL and their partner organization AJC. The ADL and its leadership have consistently made racist, anti-Palestinianand Islamophobic statements, surveilled movements for racial justice as well as Jewish advocates for Palestinian human rights, and sided with police and right-wing organizations.These biases are ingrained in the organization and the trainings they and their partners offer and they do not align with Palo Alto's values nor can they inclusively represent the needs ofour Jewish communities. Thank you, Emma Hartung {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 116     From:Aram James To:Julie Lythcott-Haims; josh@joshsalcman.com; Ed Lauing; John Burt; board@pausd.org; board@valleywater.org;planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Binder, Andrew; Cribbs, Anne; Anna Griffin;editor@paweekly.com; BoardOperations; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Kaloma Smith; Shikada, Ed;editor@almanacnews.com; paloaltofresspress.com; Lauing, Ed; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; HumanRelations Commission; Michelle; cromero@cityofepa.org; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Diana Diamond; Doug Minkler;Stump, Molly; Sean Allen; Senator Becker; Zelkha, Mila; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley, Michael;Mickie Winkler; Marty Wasserman; Linda Jolley; Josh Becker; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Burt, Patrick; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Wagner, April; DonAustin Cc:Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Hayden; Raymond Goins; Keith Reckdahl; George for Palo Alto; Salem Ajluni; Jax Ajluni; Reifschneider, James; Cait James; Marina Lopez Subject:MIT SHUTS DOWN INTERNAL GRANT DATABASE AFTER IT WAS USED TO RESEARCH SCHOOL’S ISRAEL TIES Anew report from MIT Coalition for Palestine details Israeli-funded research into everything from drone swarms tounderwater surveillance. Date:Sunday, January 19, 2025 7:24:54 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Zionists facists at it again. Weaponizing dissent claiming falsely it is antisemitism. AIPACmust go. https://theintercept.com/2025/01/16/mit-israel-military-funding-research-gaza/ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 117     From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com; Ed Lauing; ladoris cordell; josh@joshsalcman.com; Julie Lythcott-Haims;kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Council, City; Shikada, Ed; dennis burns; Marty Wasserman; Michelle;Mickie Winkler; Josh Becker; John Burt; Linda Jolley; Lotus Fong; Cecilia Taylor; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Rosen; JeffHayden; Sean Allen; Sarah Wright; Salem Ajluni; Jack Ajluni; Lewis james; Cait James; Marina Lopez; GRP-CityCouncil; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; WILPF PeninsulaPalo Alto; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; TomDuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Doug Minkler; Human Relations Commission;planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission Subject:In Gaza, a moment where death and the ceasefire intersect Date:Saturday, January 18, 2025 10:05:57 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more In Gaza, a moment where death andthe ceasefire intersect Journalist Hossam Shabat reports on three days of horror in Gaza City تابش ماسح يفحصلا JAN 18 ∙GUEST POST READ IN APP After 15 months of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, nearly 47,000 Palestinians confirmed dead and many thousands more unaccounted for, over 90 percent of the population displaced, and untold levels of destruction, a “ceasefire” deal reached this week is scheduled to go into effect at 8:30am local time on Sunday, according to the spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. Since the deal was announced on Wednesday evening, Israel has escalated its bombing campaign across Gaza, killing — as of Saturday 9am local time — 122 Palestinians, including 33 children, according to the spokesperson for Civil Defense in Gaza. The overwhelming number of dead, 92, were killed in Gaza City. Journalist Hossam Shabat — who has not left northern Gaza since the war began and who has not seen his family in over a year — reports from Gaza City on three {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 118     days of hope and death, between when the ceasefire was announced and when it is scheduled to be implemented. — Sharif Abdel Kouddous Upgrade to paid Palestinian children celebrate the Israeli government's ratification of a “ceasefire” agreement in Bureij refugee camp in Gaza City, Gaza on Janaury 18, 2025. (Photo by Moiz Salhi/Anadolu via Getty Images). Story by Hossam Shabat {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 119     GAZA CITY — In these final hours, where blood is mixed with prayer, civilians in northern Gaza are living the cruelest of moments waiting for the ceasefire to come into effect. Three full days between the announcement of the deal and its implementation. Three days of death as the merciless bombing continues. Time now is measured not in minutes, but in lifetimes of pain and tears. With every passing moment the anxiety and tension of the people here grows, as they wonder whether they will stay alive long enough for the fire to cease. The occupation intensified its bombing in the first hours after the ceasefire was announced. Fifty airstrikes in less than 24 hours. They targeted shelters, homes, and tents of the displaced. More destruction, more blood. Just minutes after the announcement, the courtyard of Al-Ahli hospital was filled with martyrs. Administrators were forced to set up a makeshift field hospital in the courtyard to handle the flood of wounded coming in. From the moment the ceasefire agreement was signed, ambulance and Civil Defense crews have been working around the clock. The scenes inside the hospital were very difficult, with more than 70 martyrs arriving in just 24 hours, including more than 20 children. The occupation army did not stop there. They targeted the al-Falah school; they bombed an entire residential block in Jabaliya; they killed families, like the Alloush family, whose bodies have not yet been recovered and still lie under and over the rubble. The children I saw that night appeared happy but they were no longer living, their faces frozen in a mix of smiles and blood. We bore witness to heart wrenching scenes in these hours of death; families in Al- Ahli hospital bidding bitter farewells to their fallen loved ones. One of the mothers said in a trembling voice: "Oh God, in her final hours, my daughter was so happy with the news of the ceasefire, she was ululating, but her joy was cut short. How can the world be like this?” These moments are the embodiment of the opposing forces of hope and tragedy, between unfulfilled joy and the sorrow that haunts everything around us. As the bombs rained down, families did not leave their homes and shelters for fear of being killed in the streets. They chose to disperse family members among {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 120     several different places for fear of being all killed together and their bloodlines wiped out, as has happened to so many families in Gaza in this genocide. People were afraid to go outside to forage for their daily supplies. In the midst of all of this, journalists continued to receive death threats. Hours ago, I received a call from someone speaking Hebrew, warning me to stop filming, which made us afraid to move around during this critical time. We are living in a moment where death and the ceasefire intersect. The hope for a lasting peace lingers as a dream for millions. Every time the war machine stops, people breathe a sigh of relief, but as time passes, the fear and anxiety return. The peace we yearn for will only come through radical political change, by ensuring the rights of civilians and providing an environment of safety and life. Until then, this time of pain of blood will continue to haunt this devastated landscape and the return to a normal life will remain a distant dream. *Translation by Sharif Abdel Kouddous Leave a comment Upgrade to paid A guest post by تابش ماسح يفحصلا رصاحملا ةزغ لامش نم مكل بتكأ Subscribe to يفحصلا Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To support our work, please consider becoming a paid {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 121     subscriber today. Upgrade to paid A paid subscription gets you: Subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL Post comments and join the community The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of the powerful miserable LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Drop Site News, Inc.Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NWSte 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 Unsubscribe {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 122     From:Aram James To:Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Dave Price; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; PaloAlto Free Press; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Human Relations Commission; Council, City Subject:Valley Water CEO on leave amid misconduct complaint - San José Spotlight Date:Saturday, January 18, 2025 10:08:43 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Valley Water CEO on leave amid misconduct complaint - San José Spotlight https://sanjosespotlight.com/valley-water-ceo-on-leave-amid-misconduct-complaint/ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 123     From:Office of Supervisor Otto LeeTo:Human Relations CommissionSubject:Save The Date March 14th - Special Invitation State Of The County Address - El Estado del Condado - Bài Phát Biểu củaQuận Hạt - 縣情報告會Date:Friday, January 17, 2025 6:24:49 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Save The Date - State Of The County Address 2025 - March 14th Dear Friends & Neighbors - Special Invitation County of Santa Clara Board President Otto Lee will deliver the 2025 State Of The County Address on Friday, March 14, 2025 beginning at 5:30 PM at Board Chambers, County Government Center, 70 West Hedding Street, San José, CA 95110. Please join us for this special event. Address will be livestreamed online. Follow link for more information. [LINK] Thank you! State Of The County 2025 - ClickHERE - LINK {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 124     Invitación especial de Otto Lee, Presidente de la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Santa Clara, para asistir al informe anual sobre el Estado del Condado. Otto Lee, Presidente de la Junta de Supervisores, presentará el informe anual sobre el Estado del Condado de Santa Clara el viernes 14 de marzo de 2025. El discurso comenzará a las 5:30 pm en la cámara de supervisores ubicada en el 70 West Hedding Street, San José, CA 95110. Por favor, acompáñenos a este evento especial. El discurso también será transmitido en directo en línea. Para más información presione este [ENLACE] ¡Gracias! Thiệp Mời đặc biệt để tham dự Buổi Phát Biểu của Quận Hạt 2025 do Chủ Tịch Hội Đồng Quản Trị Otto Lee Chủ Tịch Hội Đồng Quản Trị Quận Hạt Otto Lee Phát Biểu năm 2025. Thứ Sáu, Ngày 14 tháng 3 năm 2025, Bắt đầu lúc 5:30pm chiều. Tại Phòng Hội Đồng Quản Trị, Trung Tâm Chính Quyền Quận Hạt, 70 West Hedding Street, San José, CA 95110. Hãy cùng chúng tôi tham gia chương trình đặc biệt này. Sẽ có địa chỉ trang mạng để xem trực tiếp. Xin bấm vào [LINK] này để biết thêm thông tin. Xin cám ơn. 2025 年縣情咨文特別邀請 聖塔克拉拉縣縣政委員會主席李洲曉將於2025 年 3 月 14 日 (星期五) 發表 2025 年縣情咨文 活動 時間於下午5:30 開始 活動地點位於縣政府大樓 一樓的縣政委員會會議廳，70 West Hedding Street, San José, CA 95110. 誠摯邀請您參加此特別活動 活動當天提供線上 直播 點擊鏈結了解更多信息，謝謝 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 125     Video At the January 14, 2025 Board of Supervisors meeting, my colleagues elected me as President of the Board. It's an honor to serve in this role. Watch the video of my opening comments as incoming Board President [LINK]. Thank you. Warm regards, Supervisor Otto Lee Santa Clara County, District 3 SupervisorLee.org Supervisor.Lee@bos.sccgov.org P.S. - Two Key Updates Point In Time Count 2025 [LINK] The PIT Count, also known as the Santa Clara {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 126     County Homeless Census and Survey, will take place on the mornings of Wednesday, Jan. 22, and Thursday, Jan. 23. - Several members of the D3 Team will be joining the count. Click HERE to learn more about the PIT Count. LA Fires - Ways To Help [LINK] Our hearts remain with our families and neighbors in Los Angeles. We also must stay prepared locally. Follow link for Ways To Help and to keep your family and home prepared in case of an emergency. LINK | Español | 中文 | Tiếng Việt | Tagalog 70 West Hedding 10th Floor San José, CA 95110 (408) 299-5030 Email Supervisor Lee District 3 Website Unsubscribe from future messages. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 127     {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 128     From:Aram James To:Blackshire, Geoffrey; Shikada, Ed; h.etzko@gmail.com; Gerry Gras; Sarah Wright; Gennady Sheyner; Dave Price;Council, City; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Lewis james; Yolanda Conaway; Don Austin; josh@joshsalcman.com;kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Henry Etzkowitz; Jasso, Tamara; Marty Wasserman; Emily Mibach;Zelkha, Mila; Josh Becker; EPA Today; Jay Boyarsky; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com;Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Nicole Chiu-Wang; dennis burns; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); VaraRamakrishnan; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Afanasiev,Alex; Enberg, Nicholas; Bill Newell; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; BoardOperations;board@valleywater.org; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Mickie Winkler; John Burt; Gardener, Liz; Daniel Kottke;Dana St. George; Human Relations Commission; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission;cromero@cityofepa.org; rabrica@cityofepa.org Subject:Re: Meet the Palisades resident who defied evacuation orders and saved his home | ABS-CBN News Date:Friday, January 17, 2025 4:40:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 1/17/2025 Mayor Lauing & City Manager Shikada ( Fire Chief Blackshire) Our city leaders need to address our readiness for an LA like firestorm ASAP. Many residents of our city feel the same way as I do. Please reduce the anxiety of many by addressing thisissue at this week’s city council meeting. Sincerely, Aram James On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 4:23 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:Meet the Palisades resident who defied evacuation orders and saved his home | ABS-CBN News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCSp5e4HGR0 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 129     From:Aram James To:Lauing, Ed; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Human Relations Commission; EmilyMibach; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Gerry Gras; Jack Ajluni; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Raj Jayadev;Council, City; Bill Newell; josh@joshsalcman.com; Kaloma Smith; kamhialison@gmail.com; Keith Reckdahl;George for Palo Alto; Dana St. George; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Lotus Fong; Linda Jolley; Jeff Conrad; JeffHayden; Roberta Ahlquist; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Burt, Patrick; DuJuan Green; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; EPA Today; DianaDiamond; cromero@cityofepa.org; Cribbs, Anne; Anna Griffin; Vara Ramakrishnan; Cait James; Marina Lopez;Mickie Winkler; Michelle; Binder, Andrew; John Burt; Henry Riggs; Henry Etzkowitz; Reifschneider, James; dennisburns; Dustin Altman; Yolanda Conaway; Zelkha, Mila; Rowena Chiu; Enberg, Nicholas; Palo Alto Free Press;Lewis James; Doug Minkler; Holman, Karen (external); Stone, Greer Subject:From the archives of Avram Finkelstein --the Israeli lobby and more Date:Friday, January 17, 2025 3:23:17 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Oct 7, 2024 Hi Tim, Thanks for your thoughtful letter. The Jewish Lobby, pro-Israeli lobby, Zionist lobby, if you prefer, usual tactic is to never address the primarysubstantive issue at hand but instead to deflect by false or conflated claims of anti-Semitism, racism, and hatespeech. You’ll also notice, with rare exceptions, that the Jewish lobbies never express one iota of sympathy forthe Palestinian people or take responsibility for their ongoing genocide/ethnic cleansing/extermination ofthe Palestinian people. The lobby is intent on focusing on Jewish victimhood even though the Jewish peoplehere and in Israel are among the most privileged of all groups. The three letters, dated October 4, 2024, responding to my letter of September 27, were true to form. Thethrust of my letter, set out in the first paragraph, is my concern that no matter how mild/soft the criticism ofIsrael is, the lobby is trained to quash the criticism and instead go on the offensive. None of the letters waswilling to address the censorship issue I raised as a central theme. The three letters were each classic AdHominem attacks on the letter writer. Israel historian ILan Pappe addresses the censorship issue in his latest book, Lobbying for Zionism on both sides of the Atlantic (2024): …” But the Israeli Lobby insists on being present, in town halls, schools, churches and campuses on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2024, Israel will not allow any show of solidarity with the Palestinians in Britain and the US, even by one person, to escape its radar and will do all it can to push for the dismissal of every person who condemns its ethical violations and the proscription of every organization calling for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions. It will brand these activities as anti- Semitic and tantamount to holocaust denial. “ Regarding your concern that “Jewish Lobby” is a phrase that brushes too widely, here is one writer’s perspective on the issue for you to consider. William Safire wrote that in the United Kingdom, “Jewish Lobby” was used as an “even more pejorative” term for the “Israel lobby.”citjay He added that supporters of Israel gauge the degree of perceived animus towards Israel by the term chosen to refer to the pro-Israel lobby: “pro-Israel Lobby” being used by those with the mildest opposition, followed by “Israel lobby” with the term “Jewish lobby” being employed by those with the most virulent anti–Israel opinions. Given my abiding conviction that Israel should be eliminated as a rogue terrorist colonizer state, maybe the term I selected, “Jewish lobby,” was the most honest and descriptive of my position on Israel. As a friend of mine, ____-, {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 130     a retired high-tech person, commented: he agrees with your suggestion that I would have been better served by using the Zionist lobby or pro–Israel lobby, but also opined that it would likely not have changed the tone of the three individuals who referred to me as a racist, anti-Semite, hater. My understanding is that the use of the phrase Jewish lobby, Hindu Nationalist lobby, or lobby in most other contexts is NOT to cast an over-wide net of over-inclusiveness of individuals, but just the opposite. A special interest lobby, by definition, is a narrow group of individuals all focused on a similar goal. Okay, I look forward to our next exchange on this topic. Best. Avram ” Eliminate the state of Israel Now” Finkelstein {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 131     From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com; Ed Lauing; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; josh@joshsalcman.com; Zelkha, Mila; Reifschneider,James; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Council, City; BoardOperations;Human Relations Commission; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Mickie Winkler;John Burt; Marty Wasserman; dennis burns; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; GRP-City Council; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Dave Price; Nicole Chiu-Wang; chuckjagoda; Barberini, Christopher; Gerry Gras; Anna Griffin; Cribbs, Anne; cromero@cityofepa.org;rabrica@cityofepa.org; Vara Ramakrishnan; Braden Cartwright; editor@paweekly.com; Shikada, Ed; Palo AltoFree Press; George for Palo Alto; Keith Reckdahl; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Daniel Kottke; Damon Silver;Vicki Veenker; Dana St. George; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Cait James;Marina Lopez Subject:This is a fragile ceasefire. We must ensure it holds. Date:Friday, January 17, 2025 12:50:52 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. This is a fragile ceasefire. We must ensure it holds. Read and share the full Wire on our website. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 132     This is a fragile ceasefire. We must ensure it holds. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 133     For 15 months Israel and the U.S. have tried to erase the Palestinian people. They have failed because of Palestinian sumud — "steadfastness" or "perseverance" — and because the global movement for Palestinian freedom didn’t let them. Our most urgent task is to ensure this ceasefire holds. On Wednesday, following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement, Palestinians in Gaza filled the streets in celebration and relief. This ceasefire could save countless lives. But we know that this moment is fragile, and if left to the Israeli and US governments, it will not hold... {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 134     5 minute read   Tell the CU Board of Regents: Stop weaponizing Jewish pain. The University of Colorado Board of Regents passed a shameful motion last June that inaccurately describes the Arabic word “intifada” as a call for “violence and murder against the Jewish people.” Email the University of Colorado Board of Regents now and tell them: Immediately rescind the motion passed in June, and stop weaponizing Jewish {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 135     pain to silence pro-Palestine speech on campus. Email now   We’re still fighting for Gaza. Every weekday, JVP members and supporters come together for a Gaza Power Hour, grounding in the political moment and taking direct action. Join a special power half-hour on Tuesday, where JVP Executive Director and a Palestinian partner will discuss the the ceasefire, on the first day of Trumps new term. Register now   I’m a Jewish elected official. Here’s why I divested our county from Caterpillar {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 136     The Alameda County treasurer explains why he divested $32 million from Caterpillar — after he took a class with the Bay Area JVP. Read more   Find the Wire useful? Support this work with a contribution today. Jewish Voice for Peace P.O. Box 589Berkeley, CA 94701 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 137     United States If now isn't the right time, that's okay. Feel free to unsubscribe. Use our self-service portal to to view and update your contact information, subscription preferences, contributions, and membership status. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 138     From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Cait James; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne;Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Friends of Cubberley; Binder, Andrew; Salem Ajluni;h.etzko@gmail.com; Jack Ajluni; Cecilia Taylor; Stump, Molly; Council, City; Raymond Goins; Senator Becker;Sean Allen; Palo Alto Free Press; Rowena Chiu; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Bill Newell; dennis burns; Mickie Winkler;Marty Wasserman; John Burt; Human Relations Commission; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Sarah Wright; DianaDiamond; Kaloma Smith; Burt, Patrick; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov Subject:***free all hostages Palestinian and Israeli Date:Friday, January 17, 2025 8:36:31 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ***free all hostages Palestinian and Israeli Source: Haaretz.com Free All Hostages – Israeli and Palestinian - Opinion - Haaretz.com https://search.app/227imwMEmqHhRrDf8 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 139     From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; h.etzko@gmail.com; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; josh@joshsalcman.com; Josh Becker; JulieLythcott-Haims; Jeff Conrad; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; Jack Ajluni; Salem Ajluni; Vara Ramakrishnan; SarahWright; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; EPA Today; George for Palo Alto; kamhialison@gmail.com;Rowena Chiu; Nicole Chiu-Wang; chuck jagoda; Barberini, Christopher; Chris Colohan; Cribbs, Anne; Templeton,Cari; dennis burns; DuJuan Green; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Council, City; Shikada, Ed;editor@paweekly.com; Wagner, April; Marty Wasserman; John Burt; Reifschneider, James; Human RelationsCommission; Kaloma Smith; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Stump, Molly; Rosen, Jeff; Jay Boyarsky;rabrica@cityofepa.org; cromero@cityofepa.org; Mickie Winkler Subject:Chaos erupts at Antony Blinken’s final press conference as reporter is forcibly removed: ‘You should be in The Hague!’ Date:Thursday, January 16, 2025 4:58:23 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Chaos erupts at Antony Blinken’s final press conference as reporter is forcibly removed: ‘You should be in The Hague!’ Source: New York Post https://share.newsbreak.com/axvwauim?s=i0 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 140     From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Jasso, Tamara; Council, City; Zelkha, Mila; Marty Wasserman; RowenaChiu; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Shikada, Ed;Stump, Molly; Wagner, April; Afanasiev, Alex; Foley, Michael; Enberg, Nicholas; Lauing, Ed; Burt, Patrick; TomDuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Human Relations Commission; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org;ParkRec Commission Subject:Volunteer firefighter numbers decline Date:Thursday, January 16, 2025 9:43:33 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Volunteer firefighter numbers decline https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=d2417d19-3bf6-4048-bb2c-e2b927d4584a&appcode=SAN252&eguid=9fd7b1b8-0e01-4de0-a3b4- 94f40b916674&pnum=3# For more great content like this subscribe to the The Mercury News e-edition app here: {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 141     From:Manuel Rosaldo To:Gaines, Chantal; Pierce, Kojo Cc:liederseberle@gmail.com; pastor@universityamez.com; katie@katiecausey.org; barr@stanford.edu; Human Relations Commission; georgeforpaloalto@gmail.com; me@lythcott-haims.com; mary.kate.stimmler@gmail.com Subject:Support Inclusive Antisemitism Training for Palo Alto Date:Wednesday, January 15, 2025 2:56:42 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council, I am a Jewish resident of Palo Alto. I was born and raised here, and am an alum of El Carmelo, Ohlone, Greene (then Jordan), and Paly, as well as the Oshman Family JCC after-school program. I urge the city to adopt the PARCEO Antisemitism training. This program reflects ourcommunity’s values of inclusivity and intersectionality, offering a nuanced understanding of antisemitism. The ADL does not speak for me or many other Jewish members of our community. Its history of targeting marginalized groups and conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism makes itsinvolvement in city programs deeply concerning and potentially in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. PARCEO’s training, already embraced by many Bay Area organizations, ensures a thoughtful, inclusive approach to this issue. Thanks for your consideration. Sincerely, Manuel Rosaldo 2770 Cowper St. Palo Alto, CA 94306 (646) 537-5507 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 142     From:Aram James To:Julie Lythcott-Haims; Council, City; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu;h.etzko@gmail.com; Roberta Ahlquist; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins;Kaloma Smith; Zelkha, Mila; Human Relations Commission; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Lotus Fong;Linda Jolley; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto Subject:Re: Criticize Israel? Lose your nonprofit status. Date:Wednesday, January 15, 2025 10:15:55 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Wed, Jan 15, 2025 at 10:07 AM The Intercept <membership@emails.theintercept.com>wrote: {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 143     Aram– If a bill recently passed by the House of Representatives became law, The Intercept could lose its tax-exempt nonprofit status just for publishing journalism about occupied Palestine. All that would be required is for the next Treasury secretary — appointed by Donald Trump — to unilaterally designate us a “terrorist supporting organization.” That’s not hard to imagine. Israel’s official spokesperson in the United States once labeled The Intercept an “anti-Israel propaganda pamphlet,” and AIPAC, which cheered the passage of this legislation, called us a “rabid anti-Israel fringe publication.” There’s no time to waste. With Republicans about to take control of all three branches of the federal government, we need to make sure we have the resources to fight back the Trump administration’s attacks on independent journalism. Will you chip in $10 and help make sure The Intercept can continue to challenge the pro-Israel consensus in U.S. media? If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: DONATE $15 → DONATE $25 → DONATE $50 → DONATE $100 → DONATE ANOTHER AMOUNT → Under the nonprofit killer bill, targeted organizations would have little meaningful process for appeal once labeled as “terrorist supporting,” and no evidence of wrongdoing is required before action is taken. Supporters of the bill, which is misleadingly titled the “Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act,” claim it’s needed to block U.S.-based nonprofits from supporting terrorist groups like Hamas. It is already illegal, however, for nonprofits or anyone else in the U.S. to provide material support to terrorist groups — and the federal government has means to enforce it, including through prosecution and sanctions. This bill would sidestepdue processes. This bill passed the House late last year but was never taken up in the Senate. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 144     However, there is a very real chance that it could be passed into law by the new Republican-controlled Congress and signed by Trump after he is sworn in next week. Will you donate $10 to help support the fearless, independent nonprofit journalism of The Intercept? STAND WITH THE INTERCEPT → Thank you, The Intercept team The Intercept is a recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Intercept’s mailing address is: P.O. Box 9201 New York, NY 10008 The Intercept is an award-winning nonprofit news organization dedicated to holding the powerful accountable through fearless, adversarial journalism. Our in-depth investigations and unflinching analysis focus on surveillance, war, corruption, the environment, technology, criminal justice, the media and more. Email is an important way for us to communicate with The Intercept’s readers, but if you’d like to stop hearing from us, click here to unsubscribe from all communications. Protecting freedom of the press has never been more important. Contribute now to support our independent journalism. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 145     From:Rebecca Tarlau To:Gaines, Chantal; Pierce, Kojo; mary.kate.stimmler@gmail.com; liederseberle@gmail.com;pastor@universityamez.com; katie@katiecausey.org; barr@stanford.edu; Human Relations Commission;georgeforpaloalto@gmail.com; me@lythcott-haims.com Subject:In Support of PARCEO Antisemitism Training Date:Tuesday, January 14, 2025 8:43:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear representatives, This is Rebecca Tarlau, a current resident of Palo Alto on Cowper Street. I have beenfollowing recent discussion about antisemitism training and I am writing to request the cityadopt an Antisemitism training developed by PARCEO. This training adopts an inclusive lens,in line with the City of Palo Alto's values, addressing antisemitism in a manner thatemphasizes intersectionality, contextual awareness, and diverse Jewish perspectives. Theapproach ensures a comprehensive understanding of antisemitism while creating space forcritical conversations about broader issues. I am aware that this training has been successfully implemented in the Bay Area, serving as analternative to ones that conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Additionally, the ADL(and its partner org AJC) specifically has been proven to be problematic for many reasons, andthis organization should be kept out of any City of Palo alto training or official events. Pleasenote the following points: ADL's own staffers have protested their anti-Palestinian bias over and over again. groups, while aligning itself with police, right-wing leaders, and perpetrators of state violence." The head of the ADL has made blatantly racist statements. ADL was named as one of the organizations actively attempting to suppress Palestinian rights in the report: The Palestine Exception to Free Speech, A Movement Under Attack by the Center for Constitutional Rights and Palestine Legal (see pg. 14). ADL is no longer deemed a credible source of information by independent editors at Wikipedia. OCR provided a Dear Colleague Letter on November 7, 2023 that explicitly stated: "It is your legal obligation under Title VI to address prohibited discrimination against students and others on your campus—including those who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, or Palestinian—in the ways described in this letter." The ADL has a history of targeting marginalized communities, including African American communities and other POCs This PARCEO training has already been well received by organizations in the Bay Area,highlighting the importance of inclusive dialogue. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 146     I hope you will consider this request. Best, Rebecca Tarlau {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 147     From:Aram James To:Julie Lythcott-Haims; Ed Lauing; gstone22@gmail.com; h.etzko@gmail.com; Burt, Patrick; Gennady Sheyner;Sarah Wright; editor@paweekly.com; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; EPA Today; DianaDiamond; Shikada, Ed; Human Relations Commission; kamhialison@gmail.com; josh@joshsalcman.com; JoshBecker; Rowena Chiu; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway; Jeff Conrad; Cait James; Marina Lopez;Tim James; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Doug Minkler; Zelkha, Mila; Jack Ajluni; Michelle; Supervisor SusanEllenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky;jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Damon Silver; dennis burns; Dennis Upton; Palo Alto Free Press; Keith Reckdahl;George for Palo Alto; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley, Michael; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Lotus Fong;Roberta Ahlquist; Linda Jolley; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Perron, Zachary; Binder, Andrew; Lewis James;Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Enberg, Nicholas; Barberini, Christopher; Afanasiev, Alex; DuJuan Green;Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Lee, Craig; cromero@cityofepa.org; Vara Ramakrishnan;rabrica@cityofepa.org; Raj Jayadev; Figueroa, Eric; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRecCommission; Stump, Molly; Baker, Rob Subject:Re: hate speech/apology Date:Tuesday, January 14, 2025 2:46:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 1:58 PM Nat Fisher <sukiroo@hotmail.com> wrote: Aram James is not anti-Semitic. He is Jewish. He is anti the Israeli government; he is anti-Zionist. There is a difference. Many Jews are anti-Zionist. I am one of them. What Israel is doing in Gaza is like the Holocaust. Israel has always treated Palestinians horribly. The Council member's apology is unnecessary. She was correct in the first place. ​Natalie ​​ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 148     From:Kelda Jamison To:Gaines, Chantal; Pierce, Kojo; liederseberle@gmail.com; pastor@universityamez.com; katie@katiecausey.org;barr@stanford.edu; Human Relations Commission; georgeforpaloalto@gmail.com; me@lythcott-haims.com;mary.kate.stimmler@gmail.com Subject:Antisemitism and Islamophobia trainings for city of Palo Alto Date:Tuesday, January 14, 2025 10:18:59 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto city council members and other city administration colleagues, I hope this finds you and your loved ones well, and your new year off to a good start. I am glad to know that the Palo Alto city council is invested in comprehensive and robust training on combating anti-semitism and Islamophobia. I am writing to ask you to consideradopting the anti-semitism training developed by PARCEO, a training that takes an inclusive approach and emphasizes diverse Jewish perspectives. I would urge you to please choose thiscurriculum over that offered by the Anti-Defamation Leagues (or its partner AJC). As an organization, the ADL is known for targeted and politicized campaigns that have condemned, among other things, the Movement for Black Lives (and explicitly called forincreased police surveillance of BLM activities). The ADL is also at the forefront of systematic, and, I believe, deeply problematic efforts to characterize any criticism of Israel asantisemitic. This tactic is pervasive, and painful, and contributes to the dehumanization of Palestinians at a time when they are literally facing ethnic cleansing and catastrophic sufferingin their own country, and a spike in hate crimes in this one. The ADL's own staffers have protested their anti-Palestinian bias, and hundreds of community groups have recommended that schools stop using the ADL. For these and other reasons Iworry that partnering with an organization like the ADL effectively works against nuanced representation of diverse Jewish perspectives on antisemitism. Ours is a Palo Alto family raising children in a multifaith, biracial househoa. We cherishbelonging to a community that is truly inclusive and welcoming. In PARCEO you have a comprehensive, well-respected curriculum for this important training work. I would be happy to talk further about my concerns and these recommendations, if youhave any questions for me. Thank you for your consideration, and for all the work you do to support our beloved city. With best wishes, Kelda Jamison Palo Alto resident {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 149     From:Aram James To:Council, City; Cribbs, Anne; Templeton, Cari; George for Palo Alto; Keith Reckdahl; Shikada, Ed; Blackshire,Geoffrey; Jasso, Tamara; Sarah Wright; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; NicoleChiu-Wang; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Dave Price; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Lee, Craig;cromero@cityofepa.org; Burt, Patrick; Palo Alto Free Press; Holman, Karen (external); Tom DuBois; HumanRelations Commission; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Perron, Zachary; Wagner, April; DuJuan Green;dennis burns Subject:From Oakland to Saratoga, Los Angeles infernos are a reminder of Bay Area’s wildfire vulnerability Los Angeles fires evoke nightmarish Oakland Hills fire 33 years ago Date:Sunday, January 12, 2025 10:05:22 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of theorganization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links. From Oakland toSaratoga, Los Angelesinfernos are a reminderof Bay Area’s wildfirevulnerability Los Angeles fires evoke nightmarish Oakland Hills fire 33 years ago https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/01/12/from-oakland-to-saratoga-los-angeles-infernos- are-a-reminder-of-bay-areas-wildfire-vulnerability/ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 150     From:Aram James To:Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Bill Newell; Human Relations Commission; Council, City; h.etzko@gmail.com; Cribbs, Anne;Templeton, Cari; josh@joshsalcman.com; Josh Becker; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Sean Allen;Zelkha, Mila; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; DuJuan Green; dennis burns; Dennis Upton; Sarah Wright;Dave Price; Emily Mibach; EPA Today; Friends of Cubberley; Lotus Fong; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Barberini,Christopher; chuck jagoda; Ed Lauing; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Palo Alto Free Press; Foley, Michael; DianaDiamond; Enberg, Nicholas; Stump, Molly; Shikada, Ed; Roberta Ahlquist; Burt, Patrick;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Vara Ramakrishnan; Veenker, Vicki; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; YolandaConaway; George for Palo Alto; Keith Reckdahl Subject:A San Jose Tribute to Reverend Jethroe Moore II by Raj Jayadev Date:Saturday, January 11, 2025 4:11:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. A San Jose Tribute to Reverend Jethroe Moore II by Raj Jayadev I don’t understand San Jose without the anchoring moral force of Reverend Moore. Fordecades, across different communities, generations, political orientations, from teens to elected officials - he represented the conscience of our city. A San Jose that does not have ReverendMoore feels untethered to what guides us towards the righteous. Even though he moved to Georgia months before he passed, it never felt like he left. Despite being in another state, hewas just as plugged in, as involved, in sculpting and curating the story of justice in San Jose as was when he lived here. There was a piece of me that really thought he would move back toSan Jose someday. The first time I witnessed Reverend Moore’s public power was at a city hall meeting years ago. It was at a heated city council meeting about police abuse. The rotundawas overflowing with community who had lined up to give public input. But in those meetings, after the public comments, the electeds turned to one another to discuss the issues,often not acknowledging anything that was said by the community. The feeling of not being heard was boiling over that meeting. Then, from the audience seats, unsolicited, ReverendMoore, stood up and spoke, for us. His voice boomed, froze and commanded that whole big room with a clarion call for accountability and racial justice. Applause erupted, city councilmembers had no response. Security would not dare tell him to sit down. The conventions of City Hall politics were obliterated by the force of Reverend Moore. I had never seen anythinglike that, but as the years rolled on, I came to know that he could move like that, orate like that, defy like that, whenever felt compelled to do so, whenever the community needed him to. Real talk - Rev. Moore was the people’s champ. I loved opening Reverend Moore’s emails. It would be directed to some public official, and he would cc community folks, and it was justlike we were watching him chew them up in person at a City Hall or Board of Supervisors meeting. On behalf of an aggrieved person or people - the email would tear into the DA, orpolice chief, or one of those types, calling for immediate action. Sometimes, parts of it would take the form and structure of poetry, or quote scripture. And because he was who he was -they had to respond, often apologetically, about how they would move quickly to resolve whatever issue he brought to them. The first time I witnessed Rev’s personal, more private,power was at a candlelight vigil. A family of someone we knew had a loved one killed by police, and they were having a memorial at the site of his death, a neighborhood street near anelementary school. We had sent out their flyer to the media, advocates, community leaders, politicians. It ended up being on a cold, rainy, Friday night. The only people that showed upwas the family, some De-Bug folks, and Reverend Moore. He was the only public figure that came. No media was there. The family huddled around the middle of an unremarkableresidential intersection, under umbrellas, trying to keep candles lit against the wind and rain. I don’t know if someone asked Reverend Moore, or he simply knew that was his offering, but {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 151     he led a prayer for the departed, for his loved ones. After the prayer, the mother of the youngman who passed clutched Reverend Moore. Standing in the rain, he consoled her, giving her soft words of comfort and peace. In the less seen places and moments, the intimate spaces thathis walk of justice often him brought him to, his grace expressed itself differently, but just as powerfully as his public oratories. I’ve seen Reverend Moore lead prayer in court hallways, atrallies, at school parking lots. His faith would embolden and transform, and he shared that with us. His walk often mapped the personal to the larger terrain of the fight for justice. Ithink it’s because Reverend Moore really was a San Jose guy. He knew people. Went back with people. He knew folks’ Uncles and Aunties, knew people’s kids. There was a young man,15 years old at the time, who had a juvenile court case for some nonsense at school (the school called police instead of just resolving the minor incident on campus.) We were going to attendcourt with him to call for a dismissal of the charge, and were going to reach out to Rev to join us. If you were a person of traditional political power - a school administrator, a judge, a citycouncil person - if Rev Moore came to the meeting, you knew the community was not playing. But when we were talking to the young man’s grandma to see if it was cool to invite Rev, shesaid of course he should be there - like that was always the plan. Turned out Rev. Moore would counsel him after school regularly. Would show up at his house to check up on him,and the young man would seek him out all for guidance all the time. That would happen all the time. Whenever we would reach out to Rev to support someone’s fight for justice, he wouldoften already have had some connection to them. When we called on him to join our call for the release of a man who was wrongly imprisoned for 18 years, Rev said he had alreadyspoken to the mother of the man. She cut his hair in high school, and so of course Rev had already been advocating to the DA to recall his sentence. That man is home now and Rev’sadvocacy was part of his freedom. He was released just a month before Reverend Moore’s transition home. The grandma of the young man who Rev Moore would counsel and mentorwhen he was younger texted the night we learned of Rev’s passing. The child has sadly passed in an accident a couple years after that court case we came together for. She texted how theycould look out for each other in Heaven now. As rooted in San Jose Reverend Moore was, he also connected to the larger world, demanded that of us as well. The largest protest I have seenin person was when he called us to rally in front of City Hall after the death of Breonna Taylor who was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky. The entire plaza area bleeding onto SantaClara street filled with San Jose families protesting the killing of Black woman by police with a community two thousand miles away - all from a call for solidarity by the one voice whocould bring us all out - Reverend Moore. And during the past year and a half of the genocide of Palestinian people, Reverend Moore has enlisted all of us in San Jose who believe injustice, in life, to call for ceasefire and an end to the occupation and colonialization by Israel. For Reverend Moore, San Jose could not disengage from the struggles of those beyond citylimits or national boundaries. We are heading into Martin Luther King Day, and I can’t help but see Reverend Moore when I think of King. I don’t know if those who had the fortune to bearound King during his time understood his greatness, how his enduring truth would live beyond his physical time here. But I always felt the transcendence of Reverend Moore with ushere in San Jose, in so many different ways, and see it everywhere in this city, still. I can’t imagine a San Jose without Reverend Moore, and I don’t have to. His legacy, his life, hispursuit for justice for all of us, is in San Jose, and always will be. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 152     From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com; Bill Newell; Council, City; ladoris cordell; dennis burns; Human Relations Commission; JulieLythcott-Haims; Perron, Zachary; Clerk, City; Cecilia Taylor; George for Palo Alto; Keith Reckdahl; Cribbs, Anne;Templeton, Cari; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Sean Allen;Senator Becker; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee; Summa, Doria; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Stump,Molly; Enberg, Nicholas; Binder, Andrew; Jeff Rosen; Robert. Jonsen; Lotus Fong Subject:Re: Silicon Valley NAACP stance on “Santa Clara school district slapped with discrimination complaint” Date:Saturday, January 11, 2025 3:21:08 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. FYI On Sat, Jan 11, 2025 at 12:33 PM Salem Ajluni <ajluni@hotmail.com> wrote: Thanks, Sean, for the Silicon Valley NAACP's principled stand on this issue of discrimination and intimidation directed against Palestinian-American and Muslim-American students and parents in this Santa Clara school. In solidarity, Salem Ajluni Alumnus Emil R. Buchser High School (1976) Santa Clara Unified School District From: Sean Allen <sallen6444@yahoo.com> Sent: Friday, January 10, 2025 1:53 PM To: Zahra Billoo <zbilloo@cair.com>; lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com <lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com>; media@adc.org <media@adc.org>; aram james <abjpd1@gmail.com>; William Armaline <drive-shares-dm-noreply@google.com>; Raymond Goins <goinsrayl@gmail.com>; Rose Lynn <roselynn95035@yahoo.com>; James Staten <jamesastaten@gmail.com>; Pat M <p.marshall81@ymail.com>; Lasha Heard <heardlasha22@gmail.com>; Sarah Wright <SarahW0003@outlook.com>; Mulugeta Habtegabriel <m.habtegabriel@gmail.com>; Sharon Jackson <mamad2ndchance@gmail.com>; LaMonica Peters <lamonica.peters@fox.com>; Robert Handa <robert.handa@nbcuni.com> Cc: josh@joshsalcman.com <josh@joshsalcman.com>; Rowena Chiu <rowena.chiu@gmail.com>; jason.green@bayareanewsgroup.com <jason.green@bayareanewsgroup.com>; Dave Price <price@padailypost.com>; Braden Cartwright <bcartwright@padailypost.com>; Sean Allen <sallen6444@yahoo.com>; Raymond Goins <goinsrayl@gmail.com>; Vara Ramakrishnan <vara@acm.org>; Michelle <michelle1771@gmail.com>; Jack Ajluni <jaxpolo@gmail.com>; Salem Ajluni <ajluni@hotmail.com>; Sarah Wright <swright@embarcaderomedia.org>; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto <wilpf.peninsula.paloalto@gmail.com>; Don Austin <daustin@pausd.org>; jcanova@scusd.net <jcanova@scusd.net>; blieberman@scusd.net <blieberman@scusd.net>; aratermann@scusd.net <aratermann@scusd.net>; vjfairchild@scusd.net <vjfairchild@scusd.net>; jmuirhead@scusd.net <jmuirhead@scusd.net>; mryan@scusd.net <mryan@scusd.net>; {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 153     asgonzalez@scusd.net <asgonzalez@scusd.net>; jburrell@scusd.net <jburrell@scusd.net>; lgillmor@santaclaraca.gov <lgillmor@santaclaraca.gov>; agonzalez1@santaclaraca.gov <agonzalez1@santaclaraca.gov>; khardy@santaclaraca.gov <khardy@santaclaraca.gov>; sjain@santaclaraca.gov <sjain@santaclaraca.gov>; rchahal@santaclaraca.gov <rchahal@santaclaraca.gov>; rchahal@santaclaraca.gov <rchahal@santaclaraca.gov>; kpark@santaclaraca.gov <kpark@santaclaraca.gov>; kcox@santaclaraca.gov <kcox@santaclaraca.gov> Subject: Silicon Valley NAACP stance on “Santa Clara school district slapped with discrimination complaint”  Subject: Santa Clara school district slapped with discrimination complaint - responsefrom or branch (https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-school-district-slapped- with-discrimination-complaint/) Sean Allen Vice President/President Elect/Legal Redress Chair San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP 205 E. Alma Ave. Suite D-10. San Jose, CA 95112 January 10,2025 Dear Members of the Santa Clara Unified School District andCommunity, I am writing to express my strong condemnation of the recentactions taken by the Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD)as outlined in the Title VI complaint filed with the U.S. Departmentof Education. These allegations indicate a concerning pattern ofdiscrimination against Palestinian students, parents, and educators,which creates an untenable and hostile educational environment. Racist behavior should not be promoted by the public schoolsystem. The city of Santa Clara has a troubling history, having beenhome to several skinhead and hate groups over the past fewdecades. Despite this dark past, the city now enjoys the prestige ofhosting one of the most successful football franchises in the historyof the United States, a team that is predominantly composed of menof color. It is profoundly disheartening that educational institutionswithin this city are sources of racist conduct while the communityitself benefits from its rich diversity. It is deeply troubling to learn that students advocating for their {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 154     rights and perspectives are facing repression and intimidation. Theexperiences of students, like those from the Muslim Student Association at Wilcox High School, illustrate a systemic issuewhere their voices are not only marginalized but actively suppressed. The reported incidents surrounding guest speakerinvitations and public expressions of identity portray a school climate that fails to uphold the values of equity, respect, andinclusion. As the Vice President and Legal Redress Chair of the Silicon Valley NAACP, I stand in solidarity with the Council onAmerican-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other civil rights organizations in their efforts to address this injustice. The silencingof Palestinian voices and the lack of equitable treatment in school policies is a violation of fundamental civil rights that must becorrected. It is imperative that SCUSD takes immediate and meaningful steps to ensure that all students, regardless of theirethnic or cultural background, have the freedom to express their identities and advocate for their rights without fear of retaliation orexclusion. The situation described in the complaint reveals a critical need for an equitable vetting process for speakers and educational materials,as well as the establishment of a task force dedicated to addressing anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia within the district. Thecommitment to creating a safe and inclusive educational environment must extend to all students, especially those whosevoices have historically been marginalized. I urge the Santa Clara Unified School District to engage with community leaders, advocates, and the students themselves tofoster a culture of understanding and respect. It is essential that the district not only acknowledges these issues but actively works torectify them, ensuring that the educational environment is one where every student feels welcome and valued. In closing, I reaffirm the Silicon Valley NAACP's commitment tofighting against discrimination in all its forms and supporting our community in advocating for justice and equality. Sincerely, Sean Allen Vice President/President Elect/Legal Redress Chair San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP Sent from my iPhone {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 155     From:Aram James To:Sean Allen; Rose Lynn; Raymond Goins; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Veenker, Vicki;<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Robert. Jonsen;Sheriff Transparency; Vara Ramakrishnan; Human Relations Commission;planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Stump, Molly; Kaloma Smith; WILPF PeninsulaPalo Alto; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Nicole Chiu-Wang; dennis burns;DuJuan Green; Bill Newell; Supervisor Otto Lee; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Foley, Michael; Braden Cartwright;Emily Mibach; EPA Today; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Diana Diamond; Palo Alto Free Press Subject:Santa Clara County jail deaths highest in two decades Date:Saturday, January 11, 2025 8:16:58 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Santa Clara County jail deaths highest in two decades https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-jail-deaths-highest-in-two-decades/ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 156     From:Aram James To:Shikada, Ed; Council, City; George for Palo Alto; Keith Reckdahl; Blackshire, Geoffrey; Jasso, Tamara; Binder,Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Cribbs, Anne; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRecCommission; Human Relations Commission; h.etzko@gmail.com; Veenker, Vicki; Ed Lauing; Barberini,Christopher; Kaloma Smith; Stump, Molly; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; EPA Today; DianaDiamond Subject:Devastation in Los Angeles casts shadow over Oakland fire station closures Date:Friday, January 10, 2025 7:54:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Devastation in Los Angeles casts shadow over Oakland fire station closures https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/01/10/oakland-fire-stations-closed-wildfire/ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 157     From:Human Relations Commission To:Uzma Minhas Cc:Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Human Relations Commission Subject:RE: Request for Official Support of Second Annual Ramadan Dinner at February HRC Meeting Date:Friday, January 10, 2025 4:51:55 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage002.pngimage004.pngimage005.pngimage006.pngimage007.png Hello Uzma, Your email has been forwarded to the new Chair, Mary Kate Stimmler. She will consider putting your request on the February HRC meeting agenda. We will let you know if we need any more information. You will hear by January 30 (two weeks before the meeting) if the request has been agenized. Best regards, Alayna Cruz Human Services Management Assistant (650) 463-4906 | alayna.cruz@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Uzma Minhas <uzmaminhas@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2025 9:05 AM To: Human Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: Van Der Zwaag, Minka <Minka.VanDerZwaag@CityofPaloAlto.org> Subject: Request for Official Support of Second Annual Ramadan Dinner at February HRC Meeting CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear HRC Commissioners, I hope this email finds you well. You should have already received our “Save the Date” for the city of Palo Alto's Second Annual Ramadan Iftar Dinner, which will be held on March 8. Wewould be honored to have the HRC’s official support by adding the event to your meeting agenda, and are happy to present about this event at the HRC’s February meeting if needed. The Ramadan Dinner is an opportunity to celebrate inclusivity, respect, and cultural awareness, while fostering greater understanding among diverse communities. We believe thathaving the HRC's endorsement will lend significant weight to the event and help us further our {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 158     mission of promoting unity and dialogue. We kindly ask for the HRC’s official support and endorsement, and for placement of the event on the February meeting agenda. Your endorsement would mean a great deal to us and willensure the continued success of this important initiative. Please let me know if you need any further details or would like to discuss this request. I lookforward to hearing from you and hope for the opportunity to collaborate with the HRC. Warmly, Uzma {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 159     From:Aram James To:josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Chris Colohan; Ed Lauing;Zelkha, Mila; h.etzko@gmail.com; Don Austin; Sean Allen; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee;Dave Price; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Emily Mibach; Foley, Michael; SarahWright; George for Palo Alto; Council, City; Figueroa, Eric; Binder, Andrew; chuck jagoda; Reifschneider, James;Barberini, Christopher; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; Lotus Fong; Linda Jolley; RaymondGoins; Enberg, Nicholas; Kaloma Smith; Wagner, April; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Burt, Patrick; Bains, Paul;Yolanda Conaway; Templeton, Cari; Cecilia Taylor; Palo Alto Free Press; Perron, Zachary;planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Keith Reckdahl; dennis burns; DuJuan Green;Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Pat M; Roberta Ahlquist; HumanRelations Commission; Cait James; Marina Lopez; Doria Summa; Salem Ajluni; Jack Ajluni; The Office of MayorMatt Mahan Date:Friday, January 10, 2025 3:01:31 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of theorganization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links. Sean Allen Vice President/President Elect/Legal Redress Chair San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP 205 E. Alma Ave. Suite D-10. San Jose, CA 95112 January 10,2025 Dear Members of the Santa Clara Unified School District andCommunity, I am writing to express my strong condemnation of the recent actions taken by the Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD)as outlined in the Title VI complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education. These allegations indicate a concerning pattern ofdiscrimination against Palestinian students, parents, and educators, which creates an untenable and hostile educational environment. Racist behavior should not be promoted by the public schoolsystem. The city of Santa Clara has a troubling history, having been home to several skinhead and hate groups over the past fewdecades. Despite this dark past, the city now enjoys the prestige of hosting one of the most successful football franchises in the historyof the United States, a team that is predominantly composed of men of color. It is profoundly disheartening that educational institutionswithin this city are sources of racist conduct while the community itself benefits from its rich diversity. It is deeply troubling to learn that students advocating for theirrights and perspectives are facing repression and intimidation. The experiences of students, like those from the Muslim StudentAssociation at Wilcox High School, illustrate a systemic issue where their voices are not only marginalized but activelysuppressed. The reported incidents surrounding guest speaker invitations and public expressions of identity portray a schoolclimate that fails to uphold the values of equity, respect, and inclusion. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 160     As the Vice President and Legal Redress Chair of the SiliconValley NAACP, I stand in solidarity with the Council on American- Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other civil rights organizations intheir efforts to address this injustice. The silencing of Palestinian voices and the lack of equitable treatment in school policies is aviolation of fundamental civil rights that must be corrected. It is imperative that SCUSD takes immediate and meaningful steps toensure that all students, regardless of their ethnic or cultural background, have the freedom to express their identities andadvocate for their rights without fear of retaliation or exclusion. The situation described in the complaint reveals a critical need for an equitable vetting process for speakers and educational materials,as well as the establishment of a task force dedicated to addressing anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia within the district. Thecommitment to creating a safe and inclusive educational environment must extend to all students, especially those whosevoices have historically been marginalized. I urge the Santa Clara Unified School District to engage with community leaders, advocates, and the students themselves to fostera culture of understanding and respect. It is essential that the district not only acknowledges these issues but actively works to rectifythem, ensuring that the educational environment is one where every student feels welcome and valued. In closing, I reaffirm the Silicon Valley NAACP's commitment tofighting against discrimination in all its forms and supporting our community in advocating for justice and equality. Sincerely, Sean Allen Vice President/President Elect/Legal Redress Chair San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 161     From:McVay, Heather Cc:Norma@ochumanrelations.org; kate.sheehan@alaska.gov; matias.valenzuela@kingcounty.gov;Benjamin.Earwicker@labor.idaho.gov; mkatz@CityofBerkeley.info; cahrojournal@gmail.com;hrni@ci.eugene.or.us; Jerry.Lee@hum.wa.gov; Robert Corbisier; Alisa Warren, Ph.D.; kevin.kish@dfeh.ca.gov;coline.mcconnel@labor.idaho.gov; rick.rhodes@labor.idaho.gov; la-rae.subay@phoenix.gov; linda.bohlke@azag.gov; Joshuacooperhawaii@gmail.com; Toma, Robin; Norma Lopez; Harris, Barbara (HUM); Armstrong, Andreta (HUM); hrc@alaska.gov; HRC.Inquiry@labor.idaho.gov; BOLI_help@boli.oregon.gov; laborcom@utah.gov; frontdesk@hum.wa.gov; aerc@muni.org; contact.eod@phoenix.gov; CEHD@tucsonaz.gov; contact.center@dfeh.ca.gov; CAHRO.official@gmail.com; hrc@acgov.org; Human Relations Commission; info@hrc.lacounty.gov; HRCinfo@lacity.org; cvargas@modestogov.com; equity@orangecountync.gov; contact.center@calcivilrights.ca.gov; cpoc@cityofpasadena.net; titleix@ucr.edu; titlevi@sandiego.gov; hrc.info@sfgov.org; bbishop@cityofmadison.com; erinfo@dwd.wisconsin.gov; ERC@milwaukee.gov; Civil- Rights.OCR@kingcounty.gov; civilrights@seattle.gov; jhaynes@spokanecity.org; equity@cityoftacoma.org; discrimination@utah.gov; CVSSD@doj.oregon.gov; outreach@detr.nv.gov; hrcappeals@mt.gov; Amy.Cole@hayward-ca.gov; mei@hrc.org Subject:IAOHRA Western Regional Meeting Start:Thursday, April 10, 2025 12:00:00 PM End:Thursday, April 10, 2025 12:30:00 PM Location:Microsoft Teams Meeting CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Aloha, Join us for updates on human rights efforts in the Western Region. ________________________________________________________________________________ Microsoft Teams Need help? <https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/EsgkC3Yql1hp06Ayfgf9SQMrEO?domain=aka.ms> Join the meeting now <https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZmZjMmJhMGItMGNmYy00NzY4LThjNmItZDYwMDY3MjViZTU4%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%223847dec6-63b2-43f9-a6d0-58a40aaa1a10%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2260f0ae00-57ea-4b69-80e0-854bf66f7a0e%22%7d> Meeting ID: 246 262 562 837 Passcode: KS3MZ7kj ________________________________ Dial in by phone +1 808-829-4853,,738392946# <tel:+18088294853,,738392946> United States, Honolulu Find a local number <https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/750fc903-0b67-4d1f-b6cf-15ddab6e09af?id=738392946> Phone conference ID: 738 392 946# For organizers: Meeting options <https://teams.microsoft.com/meetingOptions/?organizerId=60f0ae00-57ea-4b69-80e0-854bf66f7a0e&tenantId=3847dec6-63b2-43f9-a6d0-58a40aaa1a10&threadId=19_meeting_ZmZjMmJhMGItMGNmYy00NzY4LThjNmItZDYwMDY3MjViZTU4@thread.v2&messageId=0&language=en-US> | Reset dial-in PIN <https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/usp/pstnconferencing> ________________________________________________________________________________ {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 162     From:McVay, Heather To:Norma@ochumanrelations.org; matias.valenzuela@kingcounty.gov; Benjamin.Earwicker@labor.idaho.gov;mkatz@CityofBerkeley.info; cahrojournal@gmail.com; hrni@ci.eugene.or.us; Jerry.Lee@hum.wa.gov;robert.corbisier@alaska.gov; president@iaohra.org; coline.mcconnel@labor.idaho.gov; rick.rhodes@labor.idaho.gov;linda.bohlke@azag.gov; McVay, Heather; Joshuacooperhawaii@gmail.com; glowenberg@hrc.lacounty.gov; rtoma@hrc.lacounty.gov; KAWATACHI, MARCUS L; VIERRA, CAROLYN M Cc:hrc@alaska.gov; HRC.Inquiry@labor.idaho.gov; BOLI_help@boli.oregon.gov; laborcom@utah.gov;frontdesk@hum.wa.gov; aerc@muni.org; contact.eod@phoenix.gov; CEHD@tucsonaz.gov;contact.center@dfeh.ca.gov; CAHRO.official@gmail.com; hrc@acgov.org; Human Relations Commission;info@hrc.lacounty.gov; HRCinfo@lacity.org; cvargas@modestogov.com; equity@orangecountync.gov;contact.center@calcivilrights.ca.gov; cpoc@cityofpasadena.net; titleix@ucr.edu; titlevi@sandiego.gov;hrc.info@sfgov.org; bbishop@cityofmadison.com; erinfo@dwd.wisconsin.gov; ERC@milwaukee.gov; Civil-Rights.OCR@kingcounty.gov; civilrights@seattle.gov; jhaynes@spokanecity.org; equity@cityoftacoma.org;discrimination@utah.gov; CVSSD@doj.oregon.gov; outreach@detr.nv.gov; hrcappeals@mt.gov; hrc.info@sfgov.org; contact.center@dfeh.ca.gov; contact.center@calcivilrights.ca.gov; Amy.Cole@hayward-ca.gov; mei@hrc.org Subject:IAOHRA Western Region General Meeting Recap and Invitation Date:Friday, January 10, 2025 12:55:44 PM Attachments:image002.pngimage004.pngFinal Save the Date Flyer 1 (1).pdf IAOHRA-Join Flyer-DEC 2023.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Aloha Western Region Colleagues, Thank you for those that were able to attend our International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA) Western Region meeting yesterday. First and foremost, watching the ongoing tragic fires in Los Angeles has been nothing short of horrifying for those of us that know and love the city and her people. We are sending our Aloha to all of you now for unity and recovery. On behalf of the Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission, we have attached an invitation to attend a free Fair Housing Virtual Conference hosted in conjunction with the San Diego Fair Housing Council coming up on February 10th and 11th. Please register by scanning the QR code on the flier. We are pleased to offer this training and conference which will cover issues relevant to Hawai’i and beyond. Some of the issues discussed will include disaster recovery, community outreach, transgender cultural awareness, a fair housing “101” and some Hawaiʻi fair housing law distinctions. If you or your agency are not current members of IAOHRA, please consider joining us as we increase our representation in the Western Region. Check out the IAOHRA website to learn more about the benefits of membership: https://www.iaohra.org/about-us We believe you will be pleasantly surprised at the affordable membership fees for all the benefits of support, training, and advocacy that IAOHRA provides: {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 163     Thank you and please reach out with any updates you might have for your jurisdiction. Do you have any upcoming trainings or events we can share? We would be delighted to share and support your efforts. I have proposed our next regional meeting to take place on APRIL 10TH at 9:00 a.m. HST. Please join us. Mahalo, Heather McVay She/herDeputy Executive DirectorHawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 164     Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani Building830 Punchbowl Street, Rm 411Honolulu, HI 96813(808) 586-9279 direct line(808) 586-8636 main line(808) 586-8655 facsimile CONFIDENTIALITY: The information herein is intended for the personal and confidential use of thedesignated person(s) named above, is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C.2510-2521, and is legally privileged and confidential. If the reader of this message is not the intendedrecipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, the reader is hereby notifiedthat you have received this e-mail in error, and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying ofthis message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, there has been nointention to waive any privilege and such privilege has not been waived. Please notify us immediately bytelephone at 808-586-8636 or by replying to this message. Also, please destroy any printed copies anddelete this message from any electronic media. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 165     From:Ruth Mota To:KojoPierce@cityofpaloalto.org; liederseberle@gmail.cm; chantal.gaines@cityof.org; pastor@universityamez.com;katie@katiecausey.org; barr@stanford.edu; Human Relations Commission; georgeforpaloalto@gmail.com;me@lythcott-haims.com Subject:Support of PARCEO Antisemitism Training Date:Thursday, January 9, 2025 8:59:44 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council Members: I hope this letter finds you well and ready for the challenging year ahead.I am writing to encourage all of you to read and objectively consider adopting the PARCEO antisemitism training in lieu of the proposal proffered by the ADL.The PARCEO training has already been successfully adopted in other Bay Area communities and I believe it presents issues in a broader contextual format that includes a wider range ofJewish and Semitic views. Its interactive exercises are consistent with effective adult learning strategies. Its objectives are less biased. I bring my support of this curriculum both as a longtime resident of Palo Alto and as aprofessional health trainer. I moved to Palo Alto in 1950 when my father Henry Gunn became superintendent and I am well aware of the values he promulgated in this community. In mydecades of work as an international health educator and trainer I developed, published and implemented curricula that dealt with issues of stigmatization. During my tenure as healthspecialist for the Africa Region of US Peace Corps, I co-authored a Life Skills Manual that was translated in four languages and included in UNESCO's Best Practices Collection. In myview the PARCEO training ranks in that level. Please make a careful selection. Thank you for your attention. Sincerely, Ruth Gunn Mota MPH {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 166     From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com; Dave Price; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Ed Lauing; KeithReckdahl; George for Palo Alto; kamhialison@gmail.com; josh@joshsalcman.com; Rowena Chiu; Emily Mibach;Cait James; Marina Lopez; Council, City; Human Relations Commission; Friends of Cubberley; Jack Ajluni; SalemAjluni; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Vara Ramakrishnan; Cribbs, Anne; Templeton, Cari;planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner,April; cromero@cityofepa.org; Lee, Craig; Enberg, Nicholas; Burt, Patrick; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov;frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Kaloma Smith; PaloAlto Free Press; Tom DuBois; Cecilia Taylor; Holman, Karen (external); Bill Newell; dennis burns; DuJuan Green Subject:VIDEO: Will There Be a Gaza Deal Before Trump"s Inauguration? Date:Thursday, January 9, 2025 10:01:45 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Shehada-Scahill-video.mp4 Watch now {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 167     VIDEO: Will There Be a Gaza DealBefore Trump's Inauguration? Palestinian journalist Muhammad Shehada and Jeremy Scahill breakdown what is being negotiated and how the Biden administrationenabled Netanyahu's campaign of sabotage JEREMY SCAHILL JAN 9 READ IN APP Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians of Gaza has now entered its sixteenth month. Despite the fact that outgoing President Joe Biden has been telling the public since May that a ceasefire was on the horizon, he and his administration have enabled a sustained campaign of diplomatic sabotage by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel has continued its intense bombing attacks against the Gaza Strip and the civilian death toll has soared. By the most conservative estimates available—those provided by the health authorities in Gaza—more than 46,000 Palestinians have been confirmed dead, almost 18,000 of them children. Some 1,600 Palestinian families have been entirely erased from existence. Israel has laid siege to the few remaining hospitals in the strip, repeatedly attacked camps for internally displaced people, and has overseen a blockade of basic food and goods into large parts of Gaza. Children have frozen to death, and diseases, including hepatitis, have spread. Netanyahu and his inner circle have vowed to continue the war until they achieve what they have described as total victory and there are indications that Israel intends to annex at least parts of the Gaza Strip. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spent months gaslighting the public, casting blame exclusively on Hamas for failing to agree to an exchange of prisoners and a cessation of the war. Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 168     Upgrade to paid After his victory in the 2024 election, Donald Trump made clear that he wants a deal to release Israeli and international captives held in Gaza prior to his inauguration on January 20. Trump’s public posture has added urgency to what had become a diplomatic process surviving on the weakest of life support systems. The president-elect’s position on the Gaza war is largely in sync with that of Biden’s; Trump’s nominees for key national security positions and U.S. ambassador to Israel are a kettle of pro-Israel hawks, some of whom have openly declared there is no such thing as a Palestinian and no such place as the West Bank. At the same time, Trump clearly wants to proclaim a victory by securing the release of hostages as he resumes office in Washington, D.C. Hamas agreed to a proposal endorsed by President Biden in May, but Netanyahu destroyed it by adding new demands after the framework was finalized. Drop Site News reviewed internal documents from the negotiations showing that on July 2 Hamas formally informed international mediators that it had accepted the framework, which Hamas said it was told had been amended by the U.S. and approved by Israel on June 24. Israel then proceeded to go on an assassination spree in the region, including killing Hamas’s political leader and top negotiator Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, effectively ending the diplomatic process. Since Trump’s election in November, Hamas has directed its public statements not at Biden but at Trump. On Wednesday, a senior Hamas official told me, “We believe we can reach an agreement immediately if Netanyahu and his government stop their stalling and obstructing the deal.” He added, “We look forward to President Trump and his team exerting pressure on Netanyahu and his government to move forward with the deal before his inauguration.” Since Trump’s victory, international mediators from Egypt and Qatar have been meeting with Hamas, U.S., and Israeli officials and mediators have slowly projected a sense of cautious optimism that some form of an agreement was achievable. By all accounts, the deal currently being discussed is almost identical to the framework Hamas agreed to last summer. The plan has three phases, the first of {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 169     which would include the release of a category of captives held in Gaza designated as “humanitarian”—children, women, the elderly, and the sick—in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails and prisons. The next two phases envision an exchange of more captives, including Israeli soldiers and high-value Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, an official end to the war, and a multiyear plan for reconstruction. While Israeli negotiators have engaged in these discussions and may sign a deal, Netanyahu has made clear he wants to ensure that Israel can resume its full military assault whenever it decides to do so. Prominent Israeli politicians continue to agitate for an indefinite occupation of Gaza as well as the building of settlements, sentiments that will hover over any purported deal. Hamas insists that any deal must include a clear path to an eventual full withdrawal of Israeli forces. Trump has threatened that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if the captives held by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip are not returned before he is sworn in. This morning, I spoke to Muhammad Shehada, a Palestinian writer and journalist from Gaza who has been doing in-depth reporting on the negotiations for a ceasefire and exchange of captives. His most recent piece for the Center for International Policy is titled “The Biden Administration’s False History of Ceasefire Negotiations.” Our investigative journalism has never been more vital. As mainstream media focuses on the political theater of the day, Drop Site is committed to rigorous reporting on the forces shaping U.S. foreign policy. We've broken major stories on the Gaza negotiations—and in 2025, our role becomes even more crucial. We'll continue our deep reporting on the tension between Trump's campaign promises and the militaristic wing of the GOP, providing essential coverage that key anti-war factions within Trump's orbit rely on. Our continued work depends on reader support. Your tax-deductible donation will fuel the hard-hitting investigations you won't find anywhere else. Support Our Investigative Reporting {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 170     Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Upgrade to paid A paid subscription gets you: Subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL Post comments and join the community The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of the powerful miserable LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Drop Site News, Inc.Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NWSte 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 Unsubscribe {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 171     From:Uzma Minhas To:Human Relations Commission Cc:Van Der Zwaag, Minka Subject:Request for Official Support of Second Annual Ramadan Dinner at February HRC Meeting Date:Thursday, January 9, 2025 9:06:53 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear HRC Commissioners, I hope this email finds you well. You should have already received our “Save the Date” for the city of Palo Alto's Second Annual Ramadan Iftar Dinner, which will be held on March 8. Wewould be honored to have the HRC’s official support by adding the event to your meeting agenda, and are happy to present about this event at the HRC’s February meeting if needed. The Ramadan Dinner is an opportunity to celebrate inclusivity, respect, and cultural awareness, while fostering greater understanding among diverse communities. We believe thathaving the HRC's endorsement will lend significant weight to the event and help us further our mission of promoting unity and dialogue. We kindly ask for the HRC’s official support and endorsement, and for placement of the event on the February meeting agenda. Your endorsement would mean a great deal to us and willensure the continued success of this important initiative. Please let me know if you need any further details or would like to discuss this request. I lookforward to hearing from you and hope for the opportunity to collaborate with the HRC. Warmly, Uzma {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 172     From:Uzma Minhas Subject: [Save the Date] Palo Alto"s 2nd Annual Ramadan Iftar Dinner March 8! Date:Thursday, January 9, 2025 8:53:08 AM Attachments:Gold Illustrative Ramadan Iftar Dinner Flyer.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Wed, Jan 8, 2025 at 3:36 PM Uzma Minhas <uzmaminhas@gmail.com> wrote: Happy New Year! I'm honored that I get to start 2025 by reaching out to you, a respected leader in our Palo Alto community, with a special save the date for our Second Annual Community Ramadan Iftar Dinner on the evening of March 8. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 173     This tradition began last year, and we are excited to continue fostering connection and understanding through this meaningful gathering. An Eventbrite RSVP link with more details will be shared soon—stay tuned! In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions. Sincerely, Uzma {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 174     From:Aram James To:josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Chris Colohan; Ed Lauing;Keith Reckdahl; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission;Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Perron, Zachary; citycouncil@mountainview.gov;jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Vara Ramakrishnan;Michelle; Jack Ajluni; Salem Ajluni; Sarah Wright; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Don Austin; Yolanda Conaway;Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Cait James; EPA Today; DianaDiamond; Kaloma Smith; Human Relations Commission; Zelkha, Mila; Veenker, Vicki; Shikada, Ed; George forPalo Alto; Palo Alto Free Press; Holman, Karen (external); Tom DuBois; h.etzko@gmail.com; Emily Mibach;Daniel Kottke; Damon Silver; Spieckerman, Damian; Burt, Patrick; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov;frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Jeff Conrad; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Barberini,Christopher; chuck jagoda; Afanasiev, Alex; Lee, Craig; cromero@cityofepa.org; Jeff Hayden; Jeff Rosen; JayBoyarsky; Enberg, Nicholas; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley, Michael; Lotus Fong; Friends ofCubberley; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov Subject:Civil rights organizations have filed a Title VI complaint against a local school district for alleged discrimination against Palestinian students, parents and … Date:Wednesday, January 8, 2025 7:04:22 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Civil rights organizations have filed a Title VI complaint against a local school district for alleged discrimination against Palestinian students, parents and … Source: San José SpotlightSanta Clara school district slapped with discrimination complaint - San José Spotlight https://search.app/ASyjuu6BzPprmsmr5 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 175     From:Aram James To:josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Nicole Chiu-Wang; Chris Colohan;h.etzko@gmail.com; Ed Lauing; Keith Reckdahl; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Jeff Hayden;Jeff Conrad; Rosen, Jeff; Cait James; Marina Lopez; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Anna Griffin; Stump, Molly;Shikada, Ed; Donette Gamblin; Yolanda Conaway; Sarah Wright; Gennady Sheyner; Council, City; GRP-CityCouncil; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Jessica Speiser; WILPFPeninsula Palo Alto; Lotus Fong; Roberta Ahlquist; Jay Boyarsky; Baker, Rob; Tim James; Kaloma Smith;Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Burt, Patrick; Human Relations Commission; George for Palo Alto;planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Linda Jolley; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov;frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; EPA Today; Diana Diamond;jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Jennifer Morrow San José Spotlight; San José Spotlight; dennis burns; Bill Newell Subject:Santa Clara school district slapped with discrimination complaint Date:Wednesday, January 8, 2025 6:11:54 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Santa Clara school district slapped with discrimination complaint Santa Clara school district slapped with discrimination complaint Source: San José Spotlight https://share.newsbreak.com/asm46ol3?s=i0 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 176     From:Aram James To:h.etzko@gmail.com Cc:Lauing, Ed; Keith Reckdahl; Council, City; George for Palo Alto; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Today EPA; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Julie Lythcott-Haims; dennis burns; ladoris cordell; Cecilia Taylor; Cait James; Lewis James; Jack Ajluni; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Bill Newell; Zelkha, Mila; Josh Becker; Friends of Cubberley; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; GRP-City Council; Perron, Zachary; chuck jagoda; Barberini, Christopher; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; Michelle; michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com; DuJuan Green; Foley, Michael; Nicole Chiu-Wang; jason.green@bayareanewsgroup.com; Gardener, Liz; Diana Diamond; Jeff Conrad; Palo Alto Free Press; Lotus Fong; Vicki Veenker; Sarah Wright; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee; District1@bos.sccgov.org; Raj Jayadev; Human Relations Commission; Burt, Patrick; Kaloma Smith; Holman, Karen (external); Tom DuBois; Wagner, April; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James Subject:Re: Former mayor Stone “pompous ass” put on a show tonight Date:Tuesday, January 7, 2025 9:36:55 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 1/7/2025Hi Henry, Thank you so much for your precise analysis of the impact of the continued Israeli genocide inPalestine and the spiritual cost to all of those who remain silent in the face of this brutal and unrelenting holocaust. Keep Speaking Out, Avram On Tue, Jan 7, 2025 at 12:12 AM Henry Etzkowitz <h.etzko@gmail.com> wrote:Kudos Avram: four square in the prophetic tradition. Hopefully Israel will follow South Africa’s example sooner rather than later. It is becoming clearer that the US is not merelysupporting Israel. Rather, President Biden is engaging in the “great game” of refashioning a world region. Sykes-Picot the Anglo French lines on a map that created the contemporaryMiddle East are being superseded with Israel a junior partner with US. Council’s ‘Erev’ around Palo Alto may freeze a “liberal consensus” within our city. However, it will not deter attacks like the one in the legacy icon of the French quarter Our support of a cease fire in Gaza, will be impactful. Palo Alto “punches above its weight”as an international icon of future innovation It also makes us vulnerable, whether or not we speak out. Just as Stanford’s inner campus is bollarded with non -official vehiclesdisallowed, downtown Palo Alto must be similarly protected. Funds for sidewalk renovation and garage construction should be accordingly redirected. An expandedMarguerite may provide transportation to and within downtown. Lethal weapons like automobiles should be kept at bay, Stanford’s model practice should be adopted by Council,forthwith! Sent from my iPhone > On Jan 6, 2025, at 10:34 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: > >  > 1/6/2025 > {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 177     > Dear Mayor Lauing & and Vice Mayor Veenker:> > It seems like no one expects former Mayor Stone to follow the rules set out by city councilprotocol and likely the Brown Act. > > As a general rule, the mayor begins meetings or gives an admonition prior to oral communication regarding alleged hate speech and its interplay with the First Amendment.What is not allowed is for the mayor or other council members to make comments about a public speaker's statements subsequent to the speaker completing his/her comments. > > In my business, such childish behavior is called Trial by Ambush and is impermissible. > > At a minimum, it would be a good practice to call out a mayor or council member whoviolates the council’s own rules. Failure to do so shows the utmost disrespect to the community and the rule of law. > > If allowed, I would have rebutted Stone’s outrageous claim that tonight or any other night,I have engaged in hate speech or anti-Semitic speech. I would challenge Stone to offer even one example of me engaging in hate speech or anti-Semitic speech. > > I would concede that I am a -strong as I can be- advocate against the ongoing ethniccleansing, genocide, starvation tactics, journalist assassinations, medical provider murders, kidnaps, and other atrocities being carried out by the Israeli government, IDO-IsraeliOccupying Forces, with full U.S. support, daily. Calling out a mayor or other city leaders who are silent and thus complicit in the genocide is not only NOT hate speech or anti-Semitic but is rather and in fact required of any righteous Jew. This Jew, great-grandson of Abraham-Avram Finkelstein and grandson of Antoinette Tonie Olive Birnbaum, refuses tobe silent in the face of the Nazi-like state of Israel. > > > Avram Finkelstein > > P.S. Aram James is really a fake name.> My dad, an oppositional Jew for sure, was born Daniel Ben Ezra Fink —and changed his name to Steven Daniel James shortly before my birth. He claimed, with his irreverent senseof humor -once he changed his name-to be the President and Founder of Jews for antisemitism. Dad grew up in Minneapolis -a very anti-semitic city in his youth. Used to bechased home being called a Christ Killer. Dad spent two years at Carleton in Minneapolis before enlisting in the army air corp. Post the war he attended the U of Illinois where heobtained a masters degree in in English, later a second masters degree at lowly Stanford. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 178     From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Aram James Cc:Lauing, Ed; Keith Reckdahl; Council, City; George for Palo Alto; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Today EPA; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Julie Lythcott-Haims; dennis burns; ladoris cordell; Cecilia Taylor; Cait James; Lewis James; Jack Ajluni; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Bill Newell; Zelkha, Mila; Josh Becker; Friends of Cubberley; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; GRP-City Council; Perron, Zachary; chuck jagoda; Barberini, Christopher; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; Michelle; michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com; DuJuan Green; Foley, Michael; Nicole Chiu-Wang; jason.green@bayareanewsgroup.com; Gardener, Liz; Diana Diamond; Jeff Conrad; Palo Alto Free Press; Lotus Fong; Vicki Veenker; Sarah Wright; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee; District1@bos.sccgov.org; Raj Jayadev; Human Relations Commission; Burt, Patrick; Kaloma Smith; Holman, Karen (external); Tom DuBois; Wagner, April; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Lauing, Ed; Today EPA; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; Human Relations Commission; Burt, Patrick; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James Subject:Re: Former mayor Stone “pompous ass” put on a show tonight Date:Tuesday, January 7, 2025 12:12:13 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Kudos Avram: four square in the prophetic tradition. Hopefully Israel will follow South Africa’s example soonerrather than later. It is becoming clearer that the US is not merely supporting Israel. Rather, President Biden isengaging in the “great game” of refashioning a world region. Sykes-Picot the Anglo French lines on a map thatcreated the contemporary Middle East are being superseded with Israel a junior partner with US. Council’s ‘Erev’ around Palo Alto may freeze a “liberal consensus” within our city. However, it will not deterattacks like the one in the legacy icon of the French quarter Our support of a cease fire in Gaza, will be impactful. Palo Alto “punches above its weight” as an international iconof future innovation It also makes us vulnerable, whether or not we speak out. Just as Stanford’s inner campus isbollarded with non -official vehicles disallowed, downtown Palo Alto must be similarly protected. Funds forsidewalk renovation and garage construction should be accordingly redirected. An expanded Marguerite mayprovide transportation to and within downtown. Lethal weapons like automobiles should be kept at bay, Stanford’smodel practice should be adopted by Council, forthwith! Sent from my iPhone > On Jan 6, 2025, at 10:34 PM, Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:>> > 1/6/2025>> Dear Mayor Lauing & and Vice Mayor Veenker:>> It seems like no one expects former Mayor Stone to follow the rules set out by city council protocol and likely theBrown Act.>> As a general rule, the mayor begins meetings or gives an admonition prior to oral communication regardingalleged hate speech and its interplay with the First Amendment. What is not allowed is for the mayor or othercouncil members to make comments about a public speaker's statements subsequent to the speaker completinghis/her comments.>> In my business, such childish behavior is called Trial by Ambush and is impermissible.>> At a minimum, it would be a good practice to call out a mayor or council member who violates the council’s ownrules. Failure to do so shows the utmost disrespect to the community and the rule of law. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 179     > > If allowed, I would have rebutted Stone’s outrageous claim that tonight or any other night, I have engaged in hate speech or anti-Semitic speech. I would challenge Stone to offer even one example of me engaging in hate speech oranti-Semitic speech.>> I would concede that I am a -strong as I can be- advocate against the ongoing ethnic cleansing, genocide,starvation tactics, journalist assassinations, medical provider murders, kidnaps, and other atrocities being carried outby the Israeli government, IDO-Israeli Occupying Forces, with full U.S. support, daily. Calling out a mayor or othercity leaders who are silent and thus complicit in the genocide is not only NOT hate speech or anti-Semitic but israther and in fact required of any righteous Jew. This Jew, great-grandson of Abraham-Avram Finkelstein andgrandson of Antoinette Tonie Olive Birnbaum, refuses to be silent in the face of the Nazi-like state of Israel.> >> Avram Finkelstein>> P.S. Aram James is really a fake name.> My dad, an oppositional Jew for sure, was born Daniel Ben Ezra Fink —and changed his name to Steven DanielJames shortly before my birth. He claimed, with his irreverent sense of humor -once he changed his name-to be thePresident and Founder of Jews for antisemitism. Dad grew up in Minneapolis -a very anti-semitic city in his youth.Used to be chased home being called a Christ Killer. Dad spent two years at Carleton in Minneapolis beforeenlisting in the army air corp. Post the war he attended the U of Illinois where he obtained a masters degree in inEnglish, later a second masters degree at lowly Stanford. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 180     From:Aram James To:Lauing, Ed; Keith Reckdahl Cc:ParkRec Commission; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; Clerk, City; Roberta Ahlquist; Zelkha, Mila; Anna Griffin; Figueroa, Eric; Jensen, Eric; Enberg, Nicholas; Human Relations Commission; Don Austin; Yolanda trevino; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; Lee, Craig; cromero@cityofepa.org; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Bains, Paul; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; frances.Rothschild@jud.ca.gov; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Gennady Sheyner; Penni Wilson; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Dennis Upton; Daniel Kottke; Damon Silver; Rodriguez, Miguel; Rowena Chiu; Burt, Patrick Subject:Re: Former mayor Stone “pompous ass” put on a show tonight Date:Monday, January 6, 2025 11:34:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 10:34 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:1/6/2025 Dear Mayor Lauing & and Vice Mayor Veenker: It seems like no one expects former Mayor Stone to follow the rules set out by city council protocol and likely the Brown Act. As a general rule, the mayor begins meetings or gives an admonition prior to oralcommunication regarding alleged hate speech and its interplay with the First Amendment. What is not allowed is for the mayor or other council members to make comments about apublic speaker's statements subsequent to the speaker completing his/her comments. In my business, such childish behavior is called Trial by Ambush and is impermissible. At a minimum, it would be a good practice to call out a mayor or council member who violates the council’s own rules. Failure to do so shows the utmost disrespect to thecommunity and the rule of law. If allowed, I would have rebutted Stone’s outrageous claim that tonight or any other night, I have engaged in hate speech or anti-Semitic speech. I would challenge Stone to offer evenone example of me engaging in hate speech or anti-Semitic speech. I would concede that I am a -strong as I can be- advocate against the ongoing ethnic cleansing, genocide, starvation tactics, journalist assassinations, medical provider murders,kidnaps, and other atrocities being carried out by the Israeli government, IDO-Israeli Occupying Forces, with full U.S. support, daily. Calling out a mayor or other city leaderswho are silent and thus complicit in the genocide is not only NOT hate speech or anti- Semitic but is rather and in fact required of any righteous Jew. This Jew, great-grandson ofAbraham-Avram Finkelstein and grandson of Antoinette Tonie Olive Birnbaum, refuses to be silent in the face of the Nazi-like state of Israel. Avram Finkelstein P.S. Aram James is really a fake name. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 181     My dad, an oppositional Jew for sure, was born Daniel Ben Ezra Fink —and changed hisname to Steven Daniel James shortly before my birth. He claimed, with his irreverent sense of humor -once he changed his name-to be the President and Founder of Jews forantisemitism. Dad grew up in Minneapolis -a very anti-semitic city in his youth. Used to be chased home being called a Christ Killer. Dad spent two years at Carleton in Minneapolisbefore enlisting in the army air corp. Post the war he attended the U of Illinois where he obtained a masters degree in in English, later a second masters degree at lowly Stanford. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 182     From:Aram James To:Lauing, Ed; Keith Reckdahl Cc:Council, City; George for Palo Alto; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; h.etzko@gmail.com; Jeff Rosen; Jay Boyarsky; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; EPA Today; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Julie Lythcott-Haims; dennis burns; ladoris cordell; Cecilia Taylor; Cait James; Lewis James; Jack Ajluni; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Bill Newell; Zelkha, Mila; Josh Becker; Friends of Cubberley; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; GRP-City Council; Perron, Zachary; chuck jagoda; Barberini, Christopher; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; Michelle; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; DuJuan Green; Foley, Michael; Nicole Chiu-Wang; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Gardener, Liz; Diana Diamond; Jeff Conrad; Palo Alto Free Press; Lotus Fong; Vicki Veenker; Sarah Wright; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Raj Jayadev; Human Relations Commission; Burt, Patrick; Kaloma Smith; Holman, Karen (external); Tom DuBois; Wagner, April; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James Subject:Former mayor Stone “pompous ass” put on a show tonight Date:Monday, January 6, 2025 10:35:03 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 1/6/2025 Dear Mayor Lauing & and Vice Mayor Veenker: It seems like no one expects former Mayor Stone to follow the rules set out by city councilprotocol and likely the Brown Act. As a general rule, the mayor begins meetings or gives an admonition prior to oral communication regarding alleged hate speech and its interplay with the First Amendment.What is not allowed is for the mayor or other council members to make comments about a public speaker's statements subsequent to the speaker completing his/her comments. In my business, such childish behavior is called Trial by Ambush and is impermissible. At a minimum, it would be a good practice to call out a mayor or council member whoviolates the council’s own rules. Failure to do so shows the utmost disrespect to the community and the rule of law. If allowed, I would have rebutted Stone’s outrageous claim that tonight or any other night, Ihave engaged in hate speech or anti-Semitic speech. I would challenge Stone to offer even one example of me engaging in hate speech or anti-Semitic speech. I would concede that I am a -strong as I can be- advocate against the ongoing ethnic cleansing,genocide, starvation tactics, journalist assassinations, medical provider murders, kidnaps, and other atrocities being carried out by the Israeli government, IDO-Israeli Occupying Forces,with full U.S. support, daily. Calling out a mayor or other city leaders who are silent and thus complicit in the genocide is not only NOT hate speech or anti-Semitic but is rather and in factrequired of any righteous Jew. This Jew, great-grandson of Abraham-Avram Finkelstein and grandson of Antoinette Tonie Olive Birnbaum, refuses to be silent in the face of the Nazi-likestate of Israel. Avram Finkelstein P.S. Aram James is really a fake name.My dad, an oppositional Jew for sure, was born Daniel Ben Ezra Fink —and changed his {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 183     name to Steven Daniel James shortly before my birth. He claimed, with his irreverent sense ofhumor -once he changed his name-to be the President and Founder of Jews for antisemitism. Dad grew up in Minneapolis -a very anti-semitic city in his youth. Used to be chased homebeing called a Christ Killer. Dad spent two years at Carleton in Minneapolis before enlisting in the army air corp. Post the war he attended the U of Illinois where he obtained a mastersdegree in in English, later a second masters degree at lowly Stanford. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 184     From:Human Relations CommissionTo:Anna JaklitschCc:Human Relations CommissionSubject:RE: Notice for Human Relations Commission Meeting AgendaDate:Monday, January 6, 2025 3:35:48 PMAttachments:image001.pngimage002.pngimage004.pngimage005.pngimage006.pngimage007.png Hello Anna, Apologies, here is the correct link for the HRC webpage: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Community-Services/Other-Services/Commissions/Human-Relations- Commission Best regards, Alayna Cruz Human Services Management Assistant (650) 463-4906 | alayna.cruz@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Human Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org> Sent: Monday, January 6, 2025 8:35 AM To: Anna Jaklitsch <annajak14@yahoo.com> Cc: Human Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: RE: Notice for Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda Hello Anna, The link has been corrected for future mailings. The agenda can be found on the HRC webpage under the section titled “PrimeGov.” Click on the Meetings tab and you can view the agenda. Best regards, Alayna Cruz Human Services Management Assistant (650) 463-4906 | alayna.cruz@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Anna Jaklitsch <annajak14@yahoo.com> Sent: Thursday, January 2, 2025 4:59 PMTo: Human Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Re: Notice for Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. The link is not attached to an agenda for Jan 9th. Anna Jaklitsch On Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 01:37:36 PM PST, Human Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Meeting on January 9, 2025     Notice for Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 185       Agenda posted as of January 2, 2025 Upcoming Human Relations Commission Meeting Held in person and by virtual teleconference through Zoom January 9, 2025, Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda Packet Learn more about the Human Relations Commission, their responsibilities, watch previous meetings, and gain previous meeting agendas and minutes here. Resources for Hybrid Meeting Attendance Hybrid meetings offer the public the flexibility of attending either virtually/remotely by using Zoom or in-person at City Hall. The newhybrid-style meetings will take place in the City Council Chambers at City Hall for all boards, commission, committee, and City Councilmeetings. City Hall HVAC system operations have been enhanced in alignment with CDC recommendations, and supplemental HEPAfiltration will be provided in the Chambers to further improve indoor air quality. Face masks and social distancing are strongly recommended. All members of the public who wish to speak during the Human Relations Commission meeting will be able to do so, regardless of whether they are present in chambers or participating by Zoom. Members of the public who wish to comment through writing may email hrc@cityofpaloalto.org. All public emails to the Commission are attached to the agenda under Public Documents. Commission meetings will continue to be broadcast and streamed live on the City’s YouTube channel, Channel 26 or 29 on cable TV, on the Midpen Media Center's website, and via Zoom as listed on the agenda. Pursuant to AB 361, Palo Alto City Council, Board, and Commission meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to attend byteleconference/video conference or in person. To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members ofthe public can choose to participate from home or attend in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in the meetingis located at the end of the agenda. The meeting will be broadcasted on Cable TV Channel 26, live on the City of Palo Alto's YouTube Channel, and Midpen Media Center. Members of the public who wish to participate by computer or phone can find the instructions at the beginning and end of each agenda. To ensure participation in a particular item, we suggest calling in or connecting online 15 minutes before the item you wish to speak on. City of Palo Alto | Commission Agendas Office of Human Services | 4000 Middlefield Rd | Palo Alto, CA 94303 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Constant Contact {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 186     From:Human Relations CommissionTo:Anna JaklitschCc:Human Relations CommissionSubject:RE: Notice for Human Relations Commission Meeting AgendaDate:Monday, January 6, 2025 8:35:05 AMAttachments:image001.pngimage002.pngimage004.pngimage005.pngimage006.pngimage007.png Hello Anna, The link has been corrected for future mailings. The agenda can be found on the HRC webpage under the section titled “PrimeGov.” Click on the Meetings tab and you can view the agenda. Best regards, Alayna Cruz Human Services Management Assistant (650) 463-4906 | alayna.cruz@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From: Anna Jaklitsch <annajak14@yahoo.com> Sent: Thursday, January 2, 2025 4:59 PM To: Human Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: Re: Notice for Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. The link is not attached to an agenda for Jan 9th. Anna Jaklitsch On Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 01:37:36 PM PST, Human Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote: Meeting on January 9, 2025     Notice for Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda   Agenda posted as of January 2, 2025 Upcoming Human Relations Commission Meeting Held in person and by virtual teleconference through Zoom January 9, 2025, Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda Packet {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 187     Learn more about the Human Relations Commission, their responsibilities, watch previous meetings, and gain previous meeting agendas and minutes here. Resources for Hybrid Meeting Attendance Hybrid meetings offer the public the flexibility of attending either virtually/remotely by using Zoom or in-person at City Hall. The newhybrid-style meetings will take place in the City Council Chambers at City Hall for all boards, commission, committee, and City Councilmeetings. City Hall HVAC system operations have been enhanced in alignment with CDC recommendations, and supplemental HEPA filtration will be provided in the Chambers to further improve indoor air quality. Face masks and social distancing are strongly recommended. All members of the public who wish to speak during the Human Relations Commission meeting will be able to do so, regardless of whether they are present in chambers or participating by Zoom. Members of the public who wish to comment through writing may email hrc@cityofpaloalto.org. All public emails to the Commission are attached to the agenda under Public Documents. Commission meetings willcontinue to be broadcast and streamed live on the City’s YouTube channel, Channel 26 or 29 on cable TV, on the Midpen Media Center'swebsite, and via Zoom as listed on the agenda. Pursuant to AB 361, Palo Alto City Council, Board, and Commission meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to attend byteleconference/video conference or in person. To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can choose to participate from home or attend in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in the meeting is located at the end of the agenda. The meeting will be broadcasted on Cable TV Channel 26, live on the City of Palo Alto's YouTube Channel, and Midpen Media Center. Members of the public who wish to participate by computer or phone can find the instructions at the beginning and end of each agenda. To ensure participation in a particular item, we suggest calling in or connecting online 15 minutes before the item you wish to speak on. City of Palo Alto | Commission Agendas Office of Human Services | 4000 Middlefield Rd | Palo Alto, CA 94303 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Constant Contact {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 188     From:Aram James To:Keith Reckdahl; Ed Lauing; George for Palo Alto Cc:h.etzko@gmail.com; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Vicki Veenker; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; DuJuan Green; Stone, Greer; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Emily Mibach; Vara Ramakrishnan; Human Relations Commission; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org; ParkRec Commission; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Zelkha, Mila; Jeff Conrad; Rowena Chiu; kamhialison@gmail.com; josh@joshsalcman.com; GRP-City Council; Council, City; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Stump, Molly; dennis burns; Raymond Goins; Sean Allen; Kaloma Smith; Palo Alto Free Press; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Roberta Ahlquist; Robert. Jonsen; Baker, Rob; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee; district1@bos.sccgov.org; EPA Today; Diana Diamond; Jeff Rosen; Jeff Hayden Subject:Israel frets as soldiers face growing risk of arrest abroad after serving in Gaza Date:Monday, January 6, 2025 8:19:25 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Israel frets as soldiers face growing risk of arrest abroad after serving in Gaza https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-soldiers-arrest-abroad-war-crimes-gaza-idf- brazil-rcna186335 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 189     From:Donald A. Barr To:Human Relations Commission Cc:Cruz, Alayna; Van Der Zwaag, Minka Subject:Important recent article Date:Sunday, January 5, 2025 1:55:20 PM Attachments:Campus Groups article.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To my fellow Human Relations Commission members, As you are aware, in the last month we have received a number of emails about Jewish and Palestinian issues. Earlier in December I was contacted by Lori Meyers and by Uzma Minhas. I met with each of them separately to discuss their concerns about antisemitism and anti-Islamism. It was clear to me that there needs to be more direct discussion among these groups to address their mutual concerns. About 2 weeks ago, The New York Times published the attached article. It reports on Jewish and Palestinian student groups at different college campuses that are working together in an attempt "to push for a peaceful, equitable solution for both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." While there have been reports of intense differences between Jewish and Islamist groups, the article reports that, "sometimes, there is a quieter group standing in the middle." The article also reports on a Professor of Israel studies at UCLA who was, "experiencing intense pushback from both pro-Israel and pro- Palestinian critics." He continues to focus his teaching on enabling, "students from whatever their perspective, whatever their background, to come and learn and ask questions.” I propose that the Human Relations Commission set similar goals for the ongoing issue of the experieces of the Jewish and the Islamic members of our community. We could seek out those from these communities who can come together to set common goals that support both communities. I encourage you to read the article, and to discuss how we as Commissioners should respond to the emails we have received. Don Barr {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 190     From:Aram James To:Keith Reckdahl; Ed Lauing Cc:h.etzko@gmail.com; Bill Newell; Jack Ajluni; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Raymond Goins; Vara Ramakrishnan; Human Relations Commission; planning.commission@cityofpaloalto.0rg; ParkRec Commission; Council, City; GRP-City Council; Dave Price; Emily Mibach; Braden Cartwright; Sarah Wright; Gennady Sheyner; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Diana Diamond; EPA Today; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Friends of Cubberley; Lotus Fong; Liz Kniss; Gardener, Liz; josh@joshsalcman.com; kamhialison@gmail.com; Rowena Chiu; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Supervisor Otto Lee; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Tom DuBois; Cecilia Taylor; Binder, Andrew; Reifschneider, James; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Hayden; Jeff Rosen; Figueroa, Eric; Barberini, Christopher; chuck jagoda; Palo Alto Free Press; George for Palo Alto; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Burt, Patrick; Kaloma Smith; Holman, Karen (external); dennis burns; DuJuan Green; Don Austin; Foley, Michael; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Zelkha, Mila Subject:Israel at war: What you need to know – day 456 Date:Saturday, January 4, 2025 10:41:38 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 8 billion more in US bombs to Israel …..SICK!!!SICK!!! SICK!!!! Daily Newsletter Logo Israel News, Saturday, 04.01.2025 View in browser Hamas aired footage of IDF spotter Liri Elbag, taken hostage on October 7 and kept captive in Gaza, in the first sign of life in over a year. The Palestinian Red Crescent said nine security personnel overseeing humanitarian aid convoys in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes. The IDF confirmed on Friday that the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza is in fact in Israeli detention. Dozens of settlers assaulted farmers from the West Bank village of Silwad. The U.S. State Department has reportedly informed Congress of its plan to send $8 billion worth of U.S.-made weapons to Israel. Here's what you need to know 456 days into the war What happened today {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 191     ■ HOSTAGES/CEASE-FIRE: Hamas released footage of 19-year- old IDF spotter Liri Elbag, who was kidnapped by Hamas from the Nahal Oz military base and was taken to Gaza on October 7. This is the first video to be released of Elbag from captivity and the first sign of life in over a year. Elbag's family later called on Netanyahu to "make your decisions as if your children were there." They said "the video released today tore our hearts apart. This is not the same daughter and sister we know. She is in bad shape and her difficult mental state is evident," adding that "You must not miss the current opportunity to bring everyone back." Netanyahu's office later said he spoke with Elbag's parents, assuring them "that Israel continues to work tirelessly to return Liri and all the hostages home, and that efforts are ongoing – including at this very moment." It added: "The prime minister reiterates that whoever dares to harm our hostages – bears the responsibility." Speaking on the released video, Einav Zangauker, mother of {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 192     the hostage Matan Zangauker, said: "We've now watched the sign of life of a heroic hostage who is surviving against all odds. Our hearts are with the family at this moment. We can't continue this hell any longer. We must bring everyone back and end the war." Following Hamas' publication of the video, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters released a statement calling on the public to join the demonstrations and protest vigils to demand the return of the hostages. ■ GAZA: The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that nine security personnel overseeing humanitarian aid convoys in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes since midnight, including four in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah. The UN Security Council discussed the state of Gaza's health services in a session on Friday, and international representatives criticized IDF operations in Gaza, focusing on the Kamal Adwan Hospital raid. Many representatives accused Israel of violating international law. Citing "human error," the IDF confirmed on Friday that the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, is in fact detained, after previously saying on Thursday that "there is no indication" of this – which itself contradicted a statement on his arrest that the army had released last week. The IDF said a rocket launched from Gaza exploded near the Erez border crossing. The Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza said that at least 45,717 Palestinians have been killed and 108,856 wounded since the start of the war. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 193     "We're trying to stay strong for him. If he keeps on surviving, who are we not to continue holding on? … If Rom happens to read this, he should know that we think about him every moment and that he must stay strong." – Shir Amoyal, partner of Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski, tells Josh Breiner ■ WEST BANK: Witnesses told the Israeli NGO Yesh Din that dozens of settlers assaulted farmers from the West Bank village of Silwad near Ramallah on Friday, and that soldiers who were present did not prevent the settlers' violence. The Palestinian Health Ministry said seven people were lightly wounded. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Friday that an 18-year- old, identified as Mohammed Ammar, was killed, and nine people were wounded by IDF fire in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus in the West Bank during clashes that erupted during IDF activity. ■ LEBANON: The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that sources in the Lebanese Army received indications from U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers, head of the committee overseeing the implementation of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, that Israel intends to extend its incursion into southern Lebanon, to a total of 90 days. The agreement fixes the deadline for withdrawal at 60 days, in three weeks' time. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in a speech on Saturday, on Lebanese television, that "Hezbollah will decide how and when to respond to Israel's violations" of the cease-fire agreement, adding that "there is no timetable that limits our actions." "Three episodes are triggering serious doubts about the army's ability to investigate itself, report with transparency to the public and enforce its declared norms on the soldiers… the exploits in {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 194     the Netzarim corridor of the commander of the 252nd Division, Brig. Gen. Yehuda Vach; the circumstances of the deaths of Golani Brigade soldier Gur Kehati and archaeologist Ze'ev Erlich during a visit to a Crusader fortress in Lebanon; and the controversy over the published recordings of the spotters murdered on October 7." – Amos Harel ■ ISRAEL-U.S.: The New York Times reported that the U.S. State Department has informed Congress of its plan to send $8 billion worth of U.S.-made weapons to Israel. The weapons package includes artillery shells, small-diameter bombs, missiles for fighter jets and helicopters and GPS guidance systems for bombs. Many of the weapons are not intended for immediate use but will instead enter a manufacturing pipeline, with delivery potentially taking years. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed to the New York Times that President Joe Biden's visit to Israel days after October 7 was used as leverage to convince Israel to restart the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza after Hamas' attack. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump named Fox News contributor and frequent Netanyahu defender Tammy Bruce as State Department spokesperson on Friday. He also named Morgan Ortagus, a favorite among pro-Israel advocates, as deputy special presidential envoy for Middle East peace. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 195     Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 on October 7. In Gaza, the Hamas- controlled health ministry reports that at least 45,717 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage 100 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals. The war erupted after ten months of an intense domestic political and social crisis, due to legislation promoted by the Netanyahu government aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever. PODCAST | 'International organizations have a shameful record when it comes to the hostages' {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 196     Hamas Releases Video of Israeli Military Spotter Held Hostage in Gaza 'If He Keeps on Surviving, Who Are We Not to Continue Holding On?' 'Apocalypse Now' in Gaza: Israel Seems to Have Its Own Unhinged Officers Report: UN Preparing to Shutter UNRWA Operations in Gaza, West Bank podcast icon LISTEN {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 197     Unsubscribe from mailing list. For more Haaretz newsletters, click here. or contact support: digital-english@haaretz.co.il Unsubscribe from all mailing lists All rights reserved © Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. Schocken ­21, Tel - Aviv, ­6653207­, Israel. Company Registration No. ­51-­001544-­9. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 198     From:Aram James To:Keith Reckdahl; Ed Lauing Cc:h.etzko@gmail.com; Bill Newell; Human Relations Commission; ParkRec Commission; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org Subject:From the blog of Jonathan van der Veen at The Times of Israel Date:Saturday, January 4, 2025 10:28:30 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Sick!! From the blog of Jonathan van der Veen at The Times of Israel The Blogs: Etz Chayim Synagogue Hosts Event With MPs Ben Carr & Anthony Housefather | Jonathan van der Veen | The Times of Israel https://search.app/Uv7no8jnDRoTHtdt7 {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 199     From:Noel Sanborn To:Gaines, Chantal; Pierce, Kojo Cc:mary.kate.stimmler@gmail.com; Adriana Eberle; pastor@universityamez.com; katie@katiecausey.org; barr@stanford.edu; Human Relations Commission; georgeforpaloalto@gmail.com; me@lythcott-haims.com Subject:Please Choose PARCEO"s Balanced and Inclusive Antisemitism Training Program Date:Friday, January 3, 2025 12:22:02 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Fellow Palo Altoans, As a 25 year resident of Palo Alto and a 17 year member of Jewish Voice for Peace I am asking you to utilize the PARCEO antisemitism program here in Palo Alto. This training is balanced and inclusive of a wide diversity of viewpoints and as suchis far better than any alternatives that I am familiar with. It has beensuccessfully used in other communities around the Bay Area. Hopefully you are aware by now as to how divisive and antagonist the"antisemitism" training offered by the Anti Defamation League has become. Though the ADL was created in 1916 in response to shocking incidents of antisemitism, in more recent years the organization's top management has been much more focused on advocating for Israel no matter how egregiously Israelviolates international and US laws. Unfortunately this bias has disturbinglydistorted the ADL's actions and antisemitism training. The ADL advocates for a definition of antisemitism that includes criticism ofZionism and of Israel. This creates several dimensions of danger. Firstly, there isnothing racist about criticizing Zionism or the foreign nation of Israel whereas antisemitism is wrong specifically because it is racist so the ADL is significantly weakening the meaning of antisemitism. Second, this is weaponizing the term "antisemitism" to squelch legitimate criticism of Israel, which is contrary to ourConstitutionally protected free speech. False charges of antisemitism have been used to destroy careers and injure people from all walks of life. Finally, by conflating support for Israel with antisemitism, the ADL is actually fueling the fires of antisemitism by giving non-Jews the false impression that all Jews support Israeland all that it does. This is especially dangerous given more than a year of horrific scenes of slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank by the IDF and by Zionist settler terrorists, who are often protected by the IDF. Not only do most Jewish Americans not support these crimes, but many thousands of Jews areactively protesting US support for the mayhem with many risking arrest and hundreds being arrested. Sadly, the ADL's actions all too often cross the line into racist Islamophobia. Arecent example is when ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblat shockingly likened the {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 200     wearing of a traditional Palestinian keffiyeh to wearing a swastika on MSNBC. It is important that antisemitism training be balanced and inclusive instead of divisive and antagonistic. Please keep our community open and inclusive and implement PARCEO's antisemitism training here in Palo Alto. Sincerely, Noel Sanborn {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 201     dnc_day_4-rev.jpg Tell the San Francisco Court: We need justice NOW! ADD YOUR NAME! From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; George for Palo Alto; Keith Reckdahl Cc:Rowena Chiu; josh@joshsalcman.com; Marina Lopez; Lotus Fong; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Cait James; Salem Ajluni; Jax Ajluni; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; h.etzko@gmail.com; Sarah Wright; kamhialison@gmail.com; Kaloma Smith; ladoris cordell; EPA Today; Templeton, Cari; Cribbs, Anne; Anna Griffin; Raymond Goins; Bill Newell; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Perron, Zachary; <michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Foley, Michael; Robert. Jonsen; Jeff Conrad; Jeff Rosen; Jeff Hayden; Jay Boyarsky; dennis burns; Lewis James; Reifschneider, James; Wagner, April; Afanasiev, Alex; Barberini, Christopher; chuck jagoda; Enberg, Nicholas; rabrica@cityofepa.org; Vara Ramakrishnan; cromero@cityofepa.org; Lee, Craig; Burt, Patrick; Patricia.Guerrero@jud.ca.gov; gstone22@gmail.com; DuJuan Green; Tom DuBois; Holman, Karen (external); Zelkha, Mila; Palo Alto Free Press; Freddie.Quintana@sen.ca.gov; Emily Mibach; Shikada, Ed; editor@paweekly.com; Dave Price; Braden Cartwright; Gerry Gras; Don Austin; Daniel Kottke; Dana St. George; Linda Jolley; Stump, Molly; Council, City; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Supervisor Otto Lee; Josh Becker; San José Spotlight; Human Relations Commission Subject:How Gazans spent Christmas Date:Thursday, January 2, 2025 11:38:44 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. CODEPINK.ORG Dear Aram, While families around the world celebrated Christmas in the warmth of their homes, nearly 1,000 Palestinians were cramped inside Gaza’s Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius and the Latin Monastery, not to celebrate, but to seek refuge from the horrors of genocide. For the second Christmas in a row, Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, canceled Christmas — a decision forced by Israel’s escalating genocide in Gaza, funded by the U.S. and backed by nearly all of Congress. Now, some congressmen are facing a class action lawsuit filed by their constituents. CODEPINK’s very own Leslie Angeline, who just ended her 31 day hunger strike last week, is part of the lawsuit to force Rep. Jared Huffman and Rep. Mike Thompson to answer to their use of her {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 202     taxpayer dollars to fund genocide in Gaza. Congress is elected to serve the people – and the people don’t want to send more of our hard earned dollars to fund genocide! Support the lawsuit! What realities does this unconditional support for Israel from members of Congress create on one of the most important holidays for Christians around the world? As expected, no Christians in Gaza were granted travel permits to visit Bethlehem for Christmas. Even in years without genocide, Christmas in Palestine is bittersweet under Israel's occupation. Palestinians typically celebrate by lighting a giant Christmas tree in Manger Square, welcoming tourists, and other traditions. This year, Bethlehem’s streets were somber, not just mourning Gaza’s martyrs but also grappling with the economic devastation the genocide has caused throughout Palestine. Palestinian Christians in Gaza huddled in the last remaining churches on video chat with the Pope. Add your name — tell the U.S. District Court in San Francisco we need justice NOW! This Christmas, while Gazans struggle, Representatives Huffman and Thompson are celebrating cozy holidays with their families. Undeterred, CODEPINK and our friends who love Palestine are escalating our demands for peace. The lawsuit against these representatives is a bold step toward holding U.S. officials accountable for funding war crimes. These politicians have sent billions of our tax dollars to support Israel’s genocidal attacks — making us complicit in the murder of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, millions displaced, and Gaza’s reduction to rubble. Sign the petition to express your support for the lawsuit and show that disgust with the actions of U.S. politicians is not confined to California! CODEPINKer Leslie Angeline joined the lawsuit as a plaintiff during her month-long hunger strike for Gaza. Her commitment to Gaza {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 203     moves me, it’s a powerful reminder of what it means to take a stand — something these members of Congress have failed to do despite having more than enough power and time to act. Leslie continues to show us what it means to give Gaza our all. The question is, will our leaders finally listen? We won’t stop until they do. Don't miss out: Check out our #BoycottNetflix initiative! Join our next Missing Peace Monday call about the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on 1/13! Unmask politicians bought by Zionism! Sign up to organize and engage locally! Order pink keffiyehs from the West Bank! Until Liberation, Nour and the entire CODEPINK team PS: Join us January 14 for a webinar with Chris Smalls and Steven Donziger: Defunding the Pentagon: What it Means to Invest in the People and Planet! Donate Now! This email was sent to abjpd1@gmail.com. To unsubscribe, click here. To update your email subscription, contact info@codepink.org. © 2025 CODEPINK.ORG | Created with NationBuilder {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 204     From:Deborahlise Mota To:Gaines, Chantal; Pierce, Kojo Cc:mary.kate.stimmler@gmail.com; liederseberle@gmail.com; pastor@universityamez.com; katie@katiecausey.org; barr@stanford.edu; Human Relations Commission; georgeforpaloalto@gmail.com; me@lythcott-haims.com; uzmaminhas@gmail.com Subject:Palo Alto Parent in support of PARCEO Antisemitism Training Date:Thursday, January 2, 2025 8:25:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hello and Happy New Year. I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to request the city adopt an Antisemitism training developed by PARCEO. This training adopts an inclusive lens, in line with the City of Palo Alto's values, addressing antisemitism in a manner that emphasizes intersectionality, contextual awareness, and diverse Jewish perspectives. The approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of antisemitism while creating space for critical conversations about broader issues. As a parent who grew up in Palo Alto and attended the same schools where my kids are enrolled, I know that Palo Alto takes pride in inclusivity with schools famous for creativity and critical thinking. Right now we are at a precipice where indoctrination could easily replace education, as public schools are deemed threatening to the new Trump administration. It is imperative that we stay curious and open to all voices, inclusive of Palestinians, and respectful that Jewish voices are not a monolith based on one single nationality, but a culturally diverse global faith. We love our Jewish community and want to protect them from rising antisemitism from far-right extremism, the true threat to all POC, such as myself. It may be of interest to note that this training has been successfully implemented in the Bay Area, serving as an alternative to ones that conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Additionally, the ADL (and its partner org AJC) specifically has been proven to be problematic for many reasons, and this organization should be kept out of any City of Palo alto training or official events. Partnering with ADL/AJC may also be in violation of Title VI. As you may know, Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., was enacted as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Please note the following points: ADL's own staffers have protested their anti-Palestinian bias over and over again.There are over 200 community and civil rights organizations, including black,lgbtq+, jewish, christian and muslim groups as well as legal groups like the NationalLawyers Guild that are recommending schools stop using ADL. "Even though the ADL is integrated into community work on a range of issues, it has a history and ongoing pattern of attacking social justice movements led by communities of color, queer people, immigrants, Muslims, Arabs, and other marginalized groups, while aligning itself with police, right-wing leaders, and perpetrators of state violence." {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 205     The head of the ADL has made blatantly racist statements.ADL was named as one of the organizations actively attempting to suppress Palestinian rights in the report: The Palestine Exception to Free Speech, A Movement Under Attack by the Center for Constitutional Rights and Palestine Legal (see pg. 14).ADL is no longer deemed a credible source of information by independent editors at Wikipedia. OCR provided a Dear Colleague Letter on November 7, 2023 that explicitly stated: "It is your legal obligation under Title VI to address prohibited discrimination against students and others on your campus—including those who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, or Palestinian—in the ways described in this letter." The ADL has a history of targeting marginalized communities, including African American communities and other POCs This PARCEO training has already been well received by organizations in the Bay Area, highlighting the importance of inclusive dialogue. Thank you all. I appreciate your consideration in selecting this comprehensive and thoughtful training, for the health and wellness of our community. Warmly, Deb {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 206     From:Anna Jaklitsch To:Human Relations Commission Subject:Re: Notice for Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda Date:Thursday, January 2, 2025 4:58:57 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. The link is not attached to an agenda for Jan 9th. Anna Jaklitsch On Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 01:37:36 PM PST, Human Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:     Notice for Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda   Agenda posted as of January 2, 2025 Upcoming Human Relations Commission Meeting Held in person and by virtual teleconference through Zoom January 9, 2025, Human Relations Commission Meeting Agenda Packet Learn more about the Human Relations Commission, their responsibilities, watch previous meetings, and gain previous meeting agendas and minutes here. {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 207     Resources for Hybrid Meeting Attendance Hybrid meetings offer the public the flexibility of attending either virtually/remotely by using Zoom or in-person at City Hall. The new hybrid-style meetings will take place in the City Council Chambers at City Hall for all boards, commission, committee, and City Council meetings. City Hall HVAC system operations have been enhanced in alignment with CDC recommendations, and supplemental HEPA filtration will be provided in the Chambers to further improve indoor air quality. Face masks and social distancing are strongly recommended. All members of the public who wish to speak during the Human Relations Commission meeting will be able to do so, regardless of whether they are present in chambers or participating by Zoom. Members of the public who wish to comment through writing may email hrc@cityofpaloalto.org. All public emails to the Commission are attached to the agenda under Public Documents. Commission meetings will continue to be broadcast and streamed live on the City’s YouTube channel, Channel 26 or 29 on cable TV, on the Midpen Media Center's website, and via Zoom as listed on the agenda. Pursuant to AB 361, Palo Alto City Council, Board, and Commission meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to attend by teleconference/video conference or in person. To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can choose to participate from home or attend in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in the meeting is located at the end of the agenda. The meeting will be broadcasted on Cable TV Channel 26, live on the City of Palo Alto's YouTube Channel, and Midpen Media Center. Members of the public who wish to participate by computer or phone can find the instructions at the beginning and end of each agenda. To ensure participation in a particular item, we suggest calling in or connecting online 15 minutes before the item you wish to speak on. City of Palo Alto | Commission Agendas Office of Human Services | 4000 Middlefield Rd | Palo Alto, CA 94303 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Constant Contact {{item.number}}     Packet Pg. 208