University of California, Berkeley lecturer Brooke Lober telling the Oakland City Council on November 28, 2023 that accounts of Hamas massacre on October 7 are a “fabrication.” Photo: Screenshot

The city of Oakland, California, lost its football team. Then it lost its baseball team. And now, it has lost its sanity.

Many have seen the absurd video of people spewing lies at the recent Oakland City Council meeting, where it voted 8-0 to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Some who spoke as part of the public comment process said no Israeli women were raped, Israel murdered its own people on October 7, and that calling Hamas a terrorist organization was racist. There was also the comment that those who opposed the resolution were “old white supremacists.” Another said the Hamas attack was a fabrication.

It is understandable that some who have little knowledge of the situation called for a ceasefire, because all people of conscience and heart would love to see no more Israelis or Palestinians die.

They don’t understand that while a ceasefire might save lives in the short term, it would ultimately cost more lives in the long term. It would allow Hamas to declare itself a winner, and commit similar barbaric attacks again, which a spokesman already said they would. There are others who want Hamas to win and basically want Israel to commit suicide.

Don’t expect the Oakland City Council to pass a resolution against Hamas. When one member, Dan Kalb, spoke about the need to put blame on Hamas in an amendment, it was not treated favorably. If morality mattered, the resolution should have called on Hamas to surrender.

While the resolution itself is meaningless, the event normalizes antisemitism.

Leadership is important, but there is no shortage of pathetic people in charge. A recent bizarre interview with KTVV Fox 2, Oakland’s mayor, Sheng Thao, was a disgrace.

She could have said that Israel was attacked and women were raped, and it was a tragedy. She could have said that Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by America. She could have said she felt terrible for Palestinian civilians who have died, and she hopes the people who have fled the violence to Southern Gaza could get shelter, food, and safety.

She chose to say none of those things. When asked about the city council’s vote, she said that hateful rhetoric should be condemned. When asked specifically what words she condemned, she said: “I hear it from both sides.”

She said, “when we are speaking, we have to be united.”

“I am not a legislator,” she said, explaining why she would not comment. “My job, again, is to keep Oaklanders safe.”

Asked about Jews who don’t feel safe in Oakland, her response was “that makes me really sad.”

But she is putting Jews in danger by not correcting false claims that could easily lead to violence.

It’s true that Shao is not the first politician to stay quiet due to fear of upsetting people. At least Berkeley’s mayor announced in a statement that such a resolution is currently not on the table because “these resolutions will not end the violence abroad, but they do fan the flames of hatred here at home. That’s a threat I cannot ignore.”

I’ve interviewed many Holocaust survivors who aren’t sure how Holocaust denial could have spread. Right now, we are seeing similar wheels in motion.

The mayor’s moral bankruptcy is just a sad state of our times — and the hatred of Jews that is permeating America.

The author is a writer based in New York.