Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Santa Barbara County Supervisors: Sheriff Denies Lobbying for Israel Resolution, Coalition Advocates for Ceasefire in 20204
Open Letter from the Central Coast Antiwar Coalition
On behalf of the Central Coast Antiwar Coalition, we ask that you, our county representatives, join with local governments across the country to pass a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza to further inform our congressional representatives of the urgency of ending the killing in Gaza and Israel.
We were distraught to learn that the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors passed on 11/7/23 a resolution in solidarity with the State of Israel. This resolution was passed during Israel’s imposition on Gaza of collective punishment for Hamas’ killings of an estimated 1200 people and kidnappings of over 200 in Israel on October 7th.
Collective punishment is a violation of international law and undermines the possibility of a political solution.
To our dismay, the supervisors’ “Resolution in support of Israel’s right to security, peace and commitment to combating anti-Semitism and Islamophobia” omitted the words “Gaza” and “Gazans,” the targets of Israel’s ethnic cleansing that has turned Gaza into a graveyard for children. The resolution did not mention that Israel has blockaded Gaza since 2007, controlling ingress and egress and restricting access to food and water to such a degree that the United Nations predicted it would be uninhabitable by 2020. Nor did the resolution mention Palestine or Palestinians, victims of the Israeli government’s ongoing violence and oppressive policies–settlement expansion, land theft, illegal detentions and torture — committed during its decades-long military occupation of the West Bank.
The county resolution passed on 11/7/23 states that “…we recognize the inherent right of people to live in security and without the threat of violence and that all individuals should have the right to enjoy their lives …,” yet the resolution, an endorsement of the State of Israel–not the people, not Israelis, but the government of Israel — says nothing about the Israeli government’s brutalization of Gaza or occupation of Palestine.
Since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank, numerous United Nations resolutions, including #446, #452, #471 and #476, have determined that Israel’s occupation is illegal, with resolution #446 confirming that Israel’s settlements are not only illegal but a serious obstacle to peace.
The resolution continues “WHEREAS, we stand in solidarity with the State of Israel in its pursuit of security and peace, and plead for the immediate return of the hostages to their families ..” yet omits a plea for the return of over 4,000 illegally held Palestinians in Israeli prisons in the West Bank.
Process Concerns
Oddly, the county’s public vote and passage of this “solidarity with the State of Israel” resolution occurred a week after supervisors had already signed the resolution on 10/31/23. The signed and posted 10/31/23 resolution preceded public notice, which was given days later when the resolution was listed as an agenda item for the 11/7/23 meeting. No one from the Muslim community was reportedly on hand on 11/7/23 to challenge the resolution that risks alienating and further polarizing the county of Santa Barbara.
An analysis of past board agendas indicates supervisors routinely sign resolutions commending or honoring county employees and residents before a public vote. Honoring the State of Israel while it commits genocide is of great controversy, however, and, therefore, should not have been considered pro-forma. Additionally, the practice of signing any resolutions in private before they are adopted in public raises concerns.
Genocide as Defined by the UN Convention
The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, signed and ratified by both Israel and the United States, defines genocide as the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, an ethnic, religious or national group–including by inflicting conditions of life meant to destroy the group– and obligates the contracting parties to not only punish any party guilty of committing genocide, but to affirmatively act to prevent this human destruction.
On the date of the passage of the county resolution (11/7/23), when Israel was denying water, food and medicine to 2.3 million imprisoned Gazans, bombing their hospitals, clinics, UN refugee centers and escape routes, Israel’s leaders had made transparent public declarations of their intent to decimate Gaza, where 10,000 people had already died as a result of Israel’s collective punishment. Hence, the Santa Barbara County supervisors’ resolution “in solidarity with the State of Israel” sends a troubling message that our local representatives stand in support of violations of international law, ignore multiple UN resolutions in opposition to the Israeli occupation and approve of Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Clarifying the Record
Local press coverage of the supervisors’ meeting on 11/7/23 referenced Supervisor Hartmann as thanking Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown for providing some of the language for the resolution that expressed “solidarity with the State of Israel.” Our coalition published an Open Letter detailing concerns about Sheriff Brown’s reported involvement.
Below is Sheriff Brown’s response emailed to us on 12/21/22:
“Thank you for your email message forwarding the letter to me from the Central Coast Antiwar Coalition.
First, I want to make it crystal clear to you and other members of the Coalition that at no time did I lobby the Board of Supervisors to pass a resolution supporting the State of Israel, nor did I provide them with language for such a resolution. What I did do was forward, first to Supervisor Hartmann, and then, at her suggestion, to the entire Board of Supervisors, information on a pair of statements published by the Chairman of the Islamic Society of Santa Barbara and the Rabbi from Congregation B’nai B’rith that were made in the wake of the terrible Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. These statements promoted peace between Muslims and Jews.
I have copied below the relevant email that I sent to the entire Board on October 21, 2023, which I think speaks for itself.
Lastly, while I appreciate you and the Coalition asking me to join you in asking the Board of Supervisors to support a ceasefire in the Hamas-Israel Conflict, I feel it is important for me to remain neutral given the extreme sensitivity and emotion that exists on both sides of this issue. What is of paramount importance to me is that everyone in our community understand that we in the Sheriff’s Office will continue to protect the safety and rights of all members of our community, regardless of their race, religion, or their stand on this or any other issue.
Sincerely,
BILL BROWN
Sheriff — Coroner
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
Neither Sheriff Brown’s response nor his forwarded emails from the Rabbi and Chair of the Islamic Society include language to stand in “solidarity with the State of Israel.”
Consequently, we are left wondering where this language originated.
Neutrality is Not Neutral
Our position is clear.
Santa Barbara County must not remain silent in the face of ongoing genocide. Neutrality always benefits the status quo ante, which is untenable as the world witnesses the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the threat of a wider regional war.
As we write this letter, the Gazan Health Ministry reports Israel’s bombardment and withholding of food and water has resulted in the deaths of 20,000 people, many of them women and children, the wounding of 53,000 others and the displacement of two million Gazans from their homes. UN officials warn of mass starvation, with “barely a drop of clean water to drink.”
It is incumbent upon the Board to pass a follow-up resolution in support of a ceasefire in Gaza since supervisors had earlier passed a resolution in support of the State of Israel that they signed before even providing public notice of its existence. Moreover, the board passed the resolution without input from Muslim community members who have lost dozens of loved ones in Gaza, from Santa Barbara Jews who say, “Not in our name!” shall this genocide be perpetrated and from the local Christians concerned about fellow Christians in Gaza seeking shelter from Israel’s bombs.
As constituents, we are entitled to a resolution that represents our opposition to an ongoing genocide.
Santa Barbara County must not remain on the record as appearing to aide and abet genocide in providing political support for Israel’s indiscriminate attacks on Gaza’s besieged population, 47% of whom are children according to UNICEF.
County supervisors, please pass a ceasefire in Gaza resolution to encourage our congressional representation to join the international chorus calling for an end to the killing. We need peace on Earth this holiday season and forever after.
Let Gaza live!
Sincerely,
Central Coast Antiwar Coalition
Co-Chairs: Omar Figueredo & Marcy Winograd
Steering Committee Members
Alicia Vasquez
Anne Barkett
Ben Himovitz
Cara Yoshizumi
Halima Sophia Fadila
Stacy Little
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Addendums
From: Brown, Bill <wfb4029@sbsheriff.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2023 8:26 PM
To: Nelson, Bob < >; Lavagnino, Steve < >; SBC Supervisor 3rd Dist. — Joan Hartmann < >; SBC Supervisor 1st Dist. — Das Williams < >; SBC Supervisor 2nd Dist. Laura Capps < >; SBC CEO — Mona Miyasoto < >
Cc: Bonner, Craig <cmb2474@sbsheriff.org>; Plastino, Robert <rrp2803@sbsheriff.org>; Grossini, Jason <jrg2844@sbsheriff.org>; Welch, Brad <bmw2861@sbsheriff.org>; Raney, Erik <ewr2592@sbsheriff.org>; Minter, Robert <rrm3491@sbsheriff.org>; McGillivray, Kevin <kmm2786@sbsheriff.org>
Subject: Re: some help
Thank you, Joan.
Das, Laura, Bob, Steve (and Mona),
Forwarding the below at Joan’s suggestion so that you are all aware of SBSO’s situational awareness and the work we are doing to protect the safety of our Jewish and Muslim constituents during this difficult, challenging and uncertain time.
If you hear of any community concerns, threats, hate crimes, protests or vulnerable events, etc. in the coming days, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Lastly, in case you haven’t seen it I want to bring to your attention an extraordinary pair of statements jointly released by two of our county’s key Jewish and Muslim leaders.
Shortly after the dreadful 10/7 attack on Israel by Hamas, the Chairman of the Islamic Society of Santa Barbara and the Rabbi from Congregation B’nai B’rith issued the following joint statements (see link below) about promoting peace between Muslims and Jews. Their statements describe how they’ve successfully worked together on issues here in Santa Barbara County. If only we could somehow spread this kind of enlightened understanding and mutual respect throughout the world:
Respectfully,
Bill Brown
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