Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza have become the norm on the left. This is almost always presented as a humanitarian position driven by the need to stop Israel’s bombing campaign and thereby save the lives of innocent civilians which Hamas is using as human shields. In other words, the people calling for ceasefire aren’t openly supporting Hamas for the most part, they just want to limit the collateral damage. And that’s exactly how things started when the Oakland City Council voted on a ceasefire resolution Monday night.

In her opening remarks at Monday evening’s Oakland City Council meeting, Councilmember Carroll Fife framed the resolution she introduced as an even-handed response intended to give a unified voice to Oakland’s diverse communities, one that began following a dialog she initiated with the city’s Muslim and Jewish leaders on Oct. 8.

“I wanted to acknowledge the real pain that people were experiencing,” Fife said. “I wanted to have a conversation with organizers… to chart a path forward. I deeply believe that the resolution that is in front of us today does that work. I think it is mild in response to what is happening in the Middle East right now. It is a moderate approach to the atrocities that are occurring.”

But a Jewish group which attended the meeting argued that peace was not possible with Hamas, a terrorist group which has said since 10/7 that it will carry out more attacks on Israeli civilians. The group asked that an addendum be made to the resolution condemning Hamas.

“There will be no Palestinian-Israeli peace with [Hamas] in power and that’s why this resolution must be amended to acknowledge the atrocities of Hamas and include its removal from power,” said Tye Gregory, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area, which has previously called for such an amendment. Gregory identified himself as a “proud gay Jewish Zionist” who believes in a two-state solution.

Oakland resident Naomi Katz said she worries failing to condemn Hamas would lead to a rise in antisemitism.

“A resolution that does not clearly state in no uncertain terms that Hamas is a terror organization that needs to be eradicated… not only invites antisemitism into our city, it fans the flames of anti-Semitism that already exists,” Katz said.

And that’s when the mask slipped a bit. Suddenly some of the folks who were just supporting the ceasefire on humanitarian grounds were arguing that Hamas shouldn’t be condemned at all.

“Hamas is the justification that Israel uses to commit genocide. Eliminating Hamas without condemning the apartheid state of Israel is basically encouraging genocide,” said District 5 resident Salah Albakri, who added that several members of his extended family in Gaza were forced to flee their homes…

There were several heated moments during the meeting between supporters and opponents of the ceasefire resolution. Several speakers claimed people pushing for language condemning Hamas were promoting “Israeli propaganda.”

The council voted 6-2 to reject the addition of language condemning Hamas. Councilmember Dan Kalb who pushed for the additions called the refusal to add such language “ridiculous.”

“Downplaying, or worse yet, rationalizing the Oct. 7 mass murder by Hamas as legitimate resistance is sad, ridiculous, and antithetical to promoting peace,” Kalb said.

As you can see in the clip below, those who opposed criticism of Hamas went well beyond calling the terror group legitimate. Some said the criticism itself was racist and attributed the deaths on 10/7 to Israel itself. Scratch a ceasefire supporter and you might find a full-fledged Hamas apologist underneath.

Last night the Oakland City Council voted on a resolution to call for a ceasefire.

A city council member tried to insert language condemning Hamas.

This was the reaction… pic.twitter.com/r7aTb2mkrQ

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) November 28, 2023

Just to put this in perspective, on Oct. 7 a terrorist group snuck across the border into Israel and murdered 1,200 people, the majority of them civilians. And just over 7 weeks later, the Oakland City Council refuses to condemn the group that did this. It’s the equivalent of a city council refusing to condemn al Qaeda on December 1, 2001 and calling criticism of bin Laden racist. Maybe there were some people in the US who said that before the rubble of the towers had even been cleared away but if so I don’t remember it. Even folks on the left get it.

I'm continually appalled by the argument that criticizing Hamas or calling them terrorists is anti-Arab racism. Seems worse and definitely more racist to suggest that a band of homicidal misogynist fundamentalists are representatives of Arabs or Palestinians? https://t.co/0wiuD7nAzd

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) November 29, 2023

Regular readers know I’m no fan of this next guy but even he gets it.

Thank you Councilmember Dan Kalb for offering the amendment condemning Hamas & Councilmember Treva Reid for supporting it. They were the only two supportive council members.

— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) November 29, 2023

Fortunately, this resolution has zero impact on anything happening in Gaza. The Hamas apologists in Oakland can rant all they want but Israel knows what it is dealing with.

Update: Adding to the list of Democrats who think these people on the anti-Israel left are nuts.

Hamas is a terrorist organization.

They must be called out for what they are: evil. https://t.co/x5btzvNX5k

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 29, 2023

Hamas is a designated terrorist organization. Their horrific attacks, rapes, killings, and kidnappings must be condemned.

It's shocking to see people continue to downplay, deny, or even seek to justify their October 7th attacks. https://t.co/fJGebOtqup

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 29, 2023

But my point isn’t to praise the left for getting this right. This is the easiest possible softball and everyone should be able to get this right. But just imagine if conservatives had said this. How do you think that would have played? Where is the media outrage?

Remember when we were told we were bigots because of imaginary, invisible dog whistles?

These monsters are blowing trumpets, not dog whistles. And they represent normative, mainstream, progressive thought. https://t.co/CRNKye3UMq

— L A R R Y (@LarryOConnor) November 28, 2023

If there was a city council meeting at which rightwingers said anything remotely as evil, stupid, wrong, and indefensible as this every single major media outlet would run it constantly and every Republican politician would be asked to condemn it. Even if you think I’m wrong,… https://t.co/nd8rZMzehY

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) November 29, 2023

I look forward to the @nytimes investigation on the new QAnon, represented perfectly here. https://t.co/WYdwA6GaTh

— Bari Weiss (@bariweiss) November 29, 2023

Apparently this meeting went on for roughly 6 hours and there was a lot more commentary like the stuff in this clip. I wonder if any major outlets will report on it (no, the ones I quoted above don’t count). Where is CNN, NBC, CBS, etc? Of course we all know why this isn’t getting that level of attention. These outlets never want to criticize the left they way they eagerly criticize the right, not even when Sen. Schumer is giving them permission to do so.