Sacramento, CA – After a surprisingly emotional hearing last night, the Sacramento City Council unanimously voted to name Ashkelon, Israel a sister city. Both proponents and opponents attended the hearing, more than 250 people in all.
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Sacramento already has nine other sister cities, including Bethlehem.
The Sacramento Bee writes (http://sacb.ee/Sox4uW) that Bethlehem was approved as a sister city in 2009 on the condition that another sister city in Israel was identified and selected as a sister city candidate. Ashkelon was chosen as the candidate.
Supporters held Israeli flags, while others wore T-shirts which read, “Got human rights? Palestinians don’t.”
Some attendees said that did not oppose a sister city in Israel, but specifically objected to Ashkelon because the Palestinians were allegedly ruthlessly relocated from Ashkelon when the State of Israel was first founded. There were also concerns that Ashkelon is the site of a prison which holds West Bank and Gaza detainees.
“I have no doubt that many people have intentions that are genuine,” said Jimmy Qaqundah, a Palestinian American and Sacramento resident. “But regardless of those intentions, and we want this to be fostering togetherness. . . .All we’re asking of you (the City Council) is to stand up for Palestinians today.”
Proponents of the measure such as former councilman and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said, “One thing that stands out is that in our community, no matter who we are, no matter who we represent, we stretch for one another. In good times and bad, we build bridges. We expect people with different points of views to talk to one another. That’s what the sister city movement is all about.”
Sacramento Councilman Jay Schenirer said he would coordinate a group from the city to visit both Bethlehem and Ashkelon. “As we move forward, we want Sacramento to be a great city,” he said. “We can choose to fight, we can choose to be divisive or we can choose to work together.”
People with way too much time on their hands!