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At last night’s special meeting, the Eureka City Council unanimously voted to send a letter asking CalPERS, the state’s public pension fund, to pull investments that support the “ongoing military occupation and genocide of the Palestinian people.” 

The letter — linked here — urges the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Directors to “divest from all companies and bonds that enable, facilitate, and profit from weapons manufacturing and human rights violations, in particular, violations of international law, military occupation, apartheid, and genocide.”

“CalPERS has the opportunity to stand on the right side of history and set a powerful example for other institutions,” the letter states. “We can and must use our financial power to exert pressure that could help end the suffering of the Palestinian people and others around the world who are subjected to violence. We urge you to act swiftly and decisively.”

The letter received unanimous support from the two dozen people who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, many of whom wore a Palestinian keffiyeh, a black-and-white checkered scarf that’s become an international symbol of the pro-Palestine cause.

“We — as a socially responsible community committed to justice and human rights and dismantling the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism — have got to do everything that we can, everything in our power, to stand up against these violations that Israel is committing,” said local educator Alice Finen. “I know that people are commenting that you need to focus on problems that are right here in the community, and I have got to say that Israel is our problem. We send them billions of dollars every year.”

Several other speakers identified themselves as “anti-Zionist Jews” against genocide.

“The Jewish people were refugees for hundreds of years after the Roman wars and the destruction of the temple in the first century,” said one speaker, who only identified themselves as Lev. “Now, the State of Israel has caused millions of Palestinians to become refugees, and much, much worse. To make refugees of another people is one of the most evil and most un-Jewish things that a country can do. City council, please act in favor of CalPERS divestment.”

Councilmember G. Mario Fernandez made a motion to approve the letter shortly after public comment. Councilmember Leslie Castellano seconded the action.

During the council’s discussion, Councilmember Renee Contreras-DeLoach asked to change a sentence in the letter that calls for CalPERS to “divest from all its assets and companies supporting Israeli apartheid and genocide.”

“It says ‘supporting Israeli apartheid and genocide,’ and I want to be careful with that, because ‘Israeli’ is referring to people, and there are people in Israel [who] do not support what’s happening right now,” she said. “I don’t want this being made about individual people.”

Councilmember Castellano agreed and expressed support for the letter, but acknowledged that it is a “symbolic act.” 

“I don’t want to move forward with this idea that we’re that this will have much of an effect on CalPERS in terms of their investment strategy or portfolio, though I do hope that people listen and they’re aware of this,” she said. “CalPERS has pretty strong stances around divestment, and policies that will make it unlikely that they will divest.”

Councilmember Fernandez also acknowledged the letter as a symbolic gesture, but said requesting divestment is “the bare minimum.” 

“The action to divest does carry fiscal implications, and the state itself should be investing in businesses that ethically benefit our state and its residents,” he said. “There’s, from my perspective, a difference in building for a common defense compared to building for profiteering, which is exactly what these funds are going to. For me, the moral imperative is to withdraw that financial support from the corporations that enable and benefit from the atrocities taking place.”

Councilmember Kati Moulton echoed her peers, adding that she has Jewish friends in Humboldt County who’ve been subjected to anti-Semitic threats “despite their opposition to the actions of the Israeli government.”

“We all deserve safety,” she said. “I just wanted to express support for the Jewish members of our community, whether they are vocal on this issue or not.”

After a bit of additional discussion, the council asked staff to add another line to the letter expressing the city’s opposition to war profiteering at large. Staff agreed, and the motion passed in a 4-0 vote, with Councilmember Scott Bauer absent.

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