(JTA) — Two California city bodies will consider resolutions condemning Israel for intercepting a Gaza-bound flotilla.
The Richmond City Council and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will consider the resolutions at their meetings Tuesday, according to j, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California.
The San Francisco resolution, which was sponsored by one supervisor and signed on to by another, condemns the interception of the flotilla and Israel’s blockade of Gaza, saying it "collectively deprives the entire population of Gaza of adequate provisions” and mainly affects children and the elderly. The resolution does acknowledge Israel’s requirement to protect its South from rocket attacks from Gaza.
The Richmond resolution was sponsored by the city’s Vice Mayor Jeff Ritterman, who is Jewish, the newspaper reported. It criticizes Israel for intercepting and boarding the ship in international waters, and says Israel’s blockade of Gaza violates human rights.
The resolution, which supports the United Nations Security Council condemnation of the flotilla clash, which resulted in the deaths of nine passengers, calls for an independent, thorough, credible and transparent investigation into the incident.
Two residents of Richmond were passengers on the Marmara, the Turkish-owned ship on which the passengers turned violent when Israeli naval commandos boarded on May 31.
The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission considered a similar resolution at a meeting June 7, but tabled a decision until its next meeting on July 12. The commission makes recommendations to the Berkeley City Council.
