Bar mitzvah boy donates ambulance to Israel

In spite of heavy  pressure from the anti-Israel lobby, in August the Sacramento City Council voted unanimously  to designate Ashkelon as Sacramento's 10th sister city. Ashkelon sits about eight miles from Israel's border with Gaza.and has been the  target of rockets from the Gaza  for years.

In a gesture that truly defines the people to people nature of the sister city relationship, a 13 year old boy Robert Leeds, asked his bar mitzvah guests to donate money to buy an ambulance for Ashkelon, in lieu of gifts.

 The ambulance was presented at a  press conference  held today in Sacramento.  Watch it here

Instead of bar mitzvah gifts, boy buys ambulance | News - KCRA Home

"It's about Building Bridges." Ashkelon is Sacramento's newest Sister city

By unanimous decision of the City Council, Ashkelon in Southern Israel is now the newest Sister City of Sacramento, honoring a commitment they had made in 2009. Though hundreds filled the Council chambers, it was clear that the vast majority of the large and diverse crowd had gathered in support of Israel.






The few anti-Israel activists clutched goldenrod colored signs stating "No rights, no sisters". Many refused to stand during the opening pledge of allegiance. They listened to a presentation outlining plans to encourage trade with Sacramento by establishing a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese city of Chongqing and not a single one uttered a word of concern about China's egregious human rights record.

Some human rights activists.

One of Sacramento's finest- Bodie, a magnificent German Shepherd made an appearance at the hearing. Bodie was shot in the line of duty through his jaw and paw in May, and was honored by the council. He and his police companions also received a standing ovation- and once again, much of the anti-Israel crew sat it out.

Bodie and Chongqing were just the appetizers. The main course of the evening was a heaping platter of Israel bashing. Three activists identifying themselves as Jewish Voice for Peace members (Pssst. Didn't you get the memo, David? Ashkelon is well within the Green line) testified, as did local Palestinian activists. And again, as we've seen over and over, the testimony was heavy with name-calling and hyperbole, and oh so short on truth.

On the side of justice and light, State Senate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg reminded the Council that the purpose of the Sister city program was to "build bridges", stating "We expect people with different points of views to talk to one another. That's what the sister city movement is all about."





The anti-Israel team weren't quite able to spin this loss. They wrote:

"Despite our having met with almost every member of the Sacramento City Council and the outstanding presentations of 14 Palestinian-Americans, members of Jewish Voice for Peace and other Sacramento human rights activists, the Council voted On August 14, 2012 with the Israel lobby and approved Ashkelon as a discriminatory, human rights-violating sister city for Sacramento.

Those addressing the Council in favor of discriminatory Ashkelon included CA State Senator Darrell Steinberg, who is part of a group of California legislators that call themselves the California Capitol Knesset. Representatives of Stand with Us and Christians United for Israel also spoke in support of Ashkelon"

The "Israel lobby" included such diverse speakers as:

-State Senator Pro Tem Darryl Steinberg
-Ray Trethaway, former Sacto City Council Member
-Gail Rubin, area rep for StandWithUS, who presented a petition signed by approximately 3,500 signatories
-Pastor Dumisani Washington,
-Barry Broad, Sacto J, Fed. Board member and Sister city Chair
-Dan Gorfain, Israeli-U.S. citizen
-Alex Eng, from the Asian community
-David Siegel, physician and Davis resident
-Alan Edelstein, resident of Sacto and Jerusalem
-Randy Neal, CUFI West Coast Director
-Norm Gold, Sacto resident
-Tim Boyd, Sacto Resident

An Open letter to the Sacramento City Council

On August 14 the Sacramento City Council will consider a proposal to form a Sister City relationship with Ashkelon. The BDS cru has been going into overdrive to prevent this from happening. And people are fighting back.

From the Blog Random thoughts. An open Letter to the Sacramento City Council:

Dear Ashkelon City Council Members:
I am a proud citizen of both the U.S.and Israel. I grew up in Sacramento and love it, and I now reside part of the year in Sacramento and part in Jerusalem.

I understand that you are considering a Sister City relationship with the City of Sacramento, in the State of California, USA. I think that’s a great idea. However, I wanted to be sure that you know all about Sacramento’s history before you vote on the proposal.

The United States of America expanded into the West pursuant to a doctrine called “Manifest Destiny.” Manifest Destiny, which occurred in the 1800’s, involved the systematic destruction and dispersion of Native Americans and the settling of Europeans on their lands. In short, the Europeans occupied the lands of the Native Americans. These Native Americans were relegated to “reservations” and have been seeking fair remedies ever since.

Sacramento and its surrounding areas were home to several American Indian tribes who lived peacefully and in harmony with the land for centuries. In the mid-1800’s, when gold was discovered within miles of Sacramento, the area became the focus of intense settlement by Americans and European.

The Americans and Europeans settlers colonized the territory, setting up encampments and mining facilities with no regard whatsoever for the native populations. The Native Americans lost their land, their holy places, their grazing lands, and much of their culture.

As part of the Gold Rush, Asians were brought to California. Their labor was exploited and they were treated harshly. They had virtually no rights. When the famous Transcontinental Railroad was built, Chinese laborers were brought to California and were basically treated like slaves.

Among other areas, the Chinese workers worked on the right-of-way over Donner Pass. The elevation on the Pass is about 7,000 feet. They worked in the harshest winter conditions. They received inadequate shelter, little food, and were subject to terrible cold. Many were injured and died.

But for war, Sacramento would be part of Mexico today. The United States won a war against Mexico in the 1840’s. In the Treaty of Guadalupe, which Mexico was forced to sign after the war,California became part of the United States and was occupied by it.

During World War II, Japanese American citizens were treated like alien enemies. Despite the fact that they were loyal citizens and many of their sons bravely fought in the U.S. Army, they were rounded up and imprisoned in camps for the duration of the war.

The camps were in desolate parts of the American West, and the conditions were primitive. The internees were completely deprived of their rights as American citizens. There was a sizeable population of Japanese American citizens in the Sacramento area. They lost their homes, their businesses, and their farms.

Like Ashkelon, Sacramento today has a diverse population and a commitment to diversity, tolerance, and understanding. Occasionally, however, ethnic tensions come to the surface. Sacramento experiences occasional hate crimes. In fact, a number of years ago three synagogues in Sacramento were subject to arson attacks.

I am happy to report that, just like in Ashkelonand the rest of Israel, Sacramento’s community leaders act firmly against such bigotry.

You should know that Sacramento has Sister City relationships with cities in some countries with questionable behavior. For example, it has a relationship with a city in China, a country with a human rights record that has been condemned by many and that has occupied Tibet for over 50 years, with disastrous consequences for Tibetan freedom and culture.

I should point out the obvious: this is my version of the history of and the current situation in Sacramento. Others see the history of Sacramento,California, and the U.S.from different perspectives and with different emphases. There is always room for debate and discussion. As you well know, there is usually plenty of blame to go around in any dispute.

The bigger issue than arguing over the history is dealing with the present. The question when it comes to your decision whether or not to agree to a Sister City relationship with Sacramento is whether we should dwell on and become entangled in debates and bitterness over Sacramento’s past or whether we should reach out and try to embrace people today. The question is whether building relationships and understanding and friendships through a Sister City relationship is preferable to arguing over past grievances and alleged transgressions.

I can tell you that Sacramento today is full of warm, well-intentioned, decent people, much like the residents of Ashkelon. I am sure that Sacramento still makes mistakes. What community does not? But I can assure you that Sacramento is a beautiful city doing many positive things.

I think Ashkelon would gain much from being connected to the City of Sacramento and its people. Ashkelon would learn from Sacramento and Sacramento would learn from Ashkelon.

So, despite the fact that Sacramento’s past is not without its controversies, I strongly recommend that Ashkelon agree to a Sister City relationship with Sacramento. I think the people of both communities and the regions they are in will benefit greatly.


Sincerely,
Alan Edelstein

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Reminder: What you can do
Please email or call

Mayor Kevin Johnson
email c/o Council Operations Manager, Lisa Serna-Mayorga, serna@cityofsacramento.org

Council Members:
- Vice-Mayor Angelique Ashby, 916-808-7001, aashby@cityofsacramento.org
- Sandy Sheedy, 916-808-7002, ssheedy@cityofsacramento.org
- Steve Cohn, 916-808-7003, scohn@cityofsacramento.org
- Robert Fong, 916-808-7004, rkfong@cityofsacramento.org
- Jay Schenirer, 916-808-7005, jschenirer@cityofsacramento.org
- Kevin McCarty,916-808-7006, KMcCarty@cityofsacramento.org
- Darrell Fong, 916-808-7007, dfong@cityofsacramento.org
- Bonnie J. Pannell, 916-808-7008, bpannell@cityofsacramento.org

And if you are in Northern California, please consider showing up at the hearing on August 14th

Will Ashkelon be Sacramento's newest Sister City?

Sacramento is considering adding Ashkelon to its sister city program.
Ashkelon is more than just beautiful beaches. Its a ancient city with a richly diverse heritage.

From the Jewish Virtual library:

Ashkelon is built upon the ruins of past civilizations. This was one of five Philistine city-states (along with Gath, Gaza, Ekron and Ashdod). The city also plays a role in biblical history as the place where Delilah cut Samson's hair to sap his strength (Judges XIV-XVI). Ashkelon was also a great trading center because it lay along the Via Maris, the route linking Egypt with Syria and Mesopotamia.

The city was first settled at the end of the third millennium B.C.E. It was conquered by the Philistines in the second half of the 12th century. After the Israelite conquest of the rest of the area, the two peoples engaged in several hundred years of conflict. After King Saul was slain by the Philistines, David lamented:

Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. (II Samuel 1:20)

Even after David defeated the Philistines in much of the rest of the country, he could not dislodge them from Ashkelon. This was finally accomplished by the Assyrian conqueror Tiglath-Pileser III in 734 B.C.E. After roughly 600 years in the region, the Philistines disappeared forever.

The city passed through the hands of the region's subsequent invaders before enjoying a renaissance under the Greeks and Romans. After the Jews, under the leadership of the Maccabeans, overthrew the Greeks in the 2nd century, Ashkelon became an autonomous city. It is believed that Ashkelon was the birthplace of Herod (in 37 B.C.E.), who enlarged and beautified the city, constructing a summer house, palaces and an aqueduct. Under the Romans, Ashkelon was also granted the rare privilege of being exempt from taxes. It became a flourishing trade center and, in particular, a major wine producer.

The city became a Christian city in the Byzantine period and was captured by the Muslims in 638 C.E. The Crusaders came next in 1153, but were defeated by Saladin. Richard the Lion Heart led the Crusaders back, but they were eventually driven out in 1280 by Sultan Baybars. The city was then abandoned until 1948 when the Jews of the new State of Israel began to rebuild it. Ashkelon was reestablished as an Israeli city in 1953.

Why would anyone object to adding Ashkelon to the growing family of Sacramento's Sister cities, which include Manila, San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua, Liestal, Switzerland and Hamilton, New Zealand?

Mr. Binder Clips said it best.

"Its the Jews, stupid"

The same "its the occupation" cru that protests regularly at Costco and Bed Bath and Beyond for daring to sell Soda Stream and Ahava found themselves in a quandary here. Ashkelon isn't "occupied"- its well within the green line. How could they distort history and manipulate truth to accommodate their "I hate anything Israeli" goals?

They couldn't. Easy enough. So they just invented a new name to provide cover.

And what are the stated objections of this newly formed group, consisting of the exact same members of all the local "I hate Israel" groups?

Their "logic" approaches world salad. From their website (Sorry, I don't link to hate sites)

Ashkelon discriminates against its own citizens and against Sacramentans on the basis of religion, ethnicity, and national origin.

I've been to Ashkelon. I fondly remember the glorious beaches, the caves at Bet Guvrin and the breakfast buffet at the Dan hotel. (who knew halvah came in so many varieties?) At no point was my Californian heritage or religion, ethnicity or national origin ever questioned.

**********
Whats really going on in Ashkelon:
From Der Spiegel

When a Palestinian woman gave birth to twins in an Ashkelon hospital she experiences what it is like to be the target of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

Best line from the article (but please read it in its entirety):

Dr. Shmuel Zangen, the director of the hospital's neonatal unit, doesn't care who he treats. "As a doctor, I enjoy the privilege of not having to think about it," he says. "It certainly is odd that we take care of Palestinian children while they shoot at us. It's the sort of thing that only happens in the Middle East."

***************
What can you do? Drop a line to the Sacramento mayor and city Council members. Tell them you support having Ashkelon as a sister city to Sacramento.

aashby@cityofsacramento.org, ssheedy@cityofsacramento.org, scohn@cityofsacramento.org, rkfong@cityofsacramento.org, jschenirer@cityofsacramento.org, KMcCarty@cityofsacramento.org, dfong@cityofsacramento.org, bpannell@cityofsacramento.org, mayor@cityofsacramento.org,

Please plan on attending the August 14, 2012, 6pm City Council meeting when the Ashkelon proposal is scheduled to be heard.