Richmond, Calif., mayor Eduardo Martinez is facing calls to resign after reposting anti-Semitic social media content that labeled Australia’s Bondi Beach terrorist attack an Israeli "false flag" operation and blamed Israel for rising anti-Semitism.
"Such rhetoric is dangerously antisemitic, deeply offensive, and wholly unacceptable—particularly coming from a sitting mayor," the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area (JCRC) said in an open letter condemning the now-deleted LinkedIn posts. The letter noted that Martinez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has "shown to be antisemitic and unfit to hold office," and called for his resignation.
"The root cause of antisemitism is the behaviour of Israel & Israelis," one of the posts shared by Martinez read. Another post said that the Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration should be seen as a "performative assertion of dominance."
"Hanukkah, traditionally a time of personal and private reflection, has in recent years been appropriated by Jewish Zionist organisations and weaponised as a political tool," the post read. Martinez commented, "What are your thoughts?" after sharing.
Though Martinez later apologized, saying he misread the content, he doubled down on blaming Israel for a rise in anti-Semitism. "What I read is Israel and the Israelis are causing the rise in anti-Semitism and there has been a rise, and I think it’s because of the genocide that’s taking place in Palestine," Martinez said.
Martinez has long been a critic of Israel and has a history of making controversial statements about the Jewish state. In October 2023, just days after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Martinez supported a resolution expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people, saying they were experiencing "ethnic cleansing" and "collective punishment." The statement drew outrage from his Jewish constituents who noted that the resolution made no mention of Hamas.
Earlier this year, Martinez spoke at a Detroit conference in which he appeared to justify the Oct. 7 attacks, arguing that it was like a person lashing out after being bullied, and said the question of whether he supported Hamas was "complicated." He also wore a hat with the acronym "DDTTIDF," calling for death to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Taken together, these actions reflect a consistent and deeply troubling disregard for the safety and dignity of Jewish people. They erode public trust and send a chilling message to Jewish residents that they are neither protected nor respected by their own mayor," the JCRC open letter read.
