Baltimore City Council's Double Standard on Terrorism
Blocks Anti-terror Resolution Following Pro-Palestine Demonstration
After pro-Palestinian demonstrators interrupted a Baltimore City Council meeting, the body struck down a proposed resolution by Councilman Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer that would have condemned the October attack on Israel by Hamas and expressed solidarity with the Jewish people.[i]
The pro-Palestinian demonstrators interrupted the Council meeting, chanting "free, free Palestine" and the slogan calling for the destruction of Israel, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."[ii] While the demonstrators were escorted from the council chamber by Baltimore Police, the Baltimore Sun reported that chanting could be heard outside the council chamber and eventually from outside City Hall as the meeting continued.
At the same meeting, Councilman Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer' offered a resolution mirroring similar language passed by the council condemning a 2019 terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed dozens at two mosques.
Although nine council members supported Schleifer's resolution, four Council members abstained, and two were absent. Council President Nick Mosby said the measure required 12 votes to pass. The four blocking votes came from Councilmembers Kristerfer Burnett of District 8, Ryan Dorsey of District 3, Phylicia Porter of District 10, and Odette Ramos of District 14.[iii]
Schleifer condemned his colleagues during and after the meeting for rejecting the resolution, likening the situation to that faced by his grandparents in Nazi-controlled Germany "when people just sat on the sidelines and didn't want to speak up." He noted that the council has in the past passed resolutions condemning terrorist attacks.
He told the Sun "For some reason the lives of Jews who were slaughtered doesn't get the same condemnation as attacks on any other group of people." [iv]
Later Schleifer posted the following on Facebook"
"Here is the resolution that FAILED on the city council floor this evening. The resolution called for two things: 1. Condemn Hamas Terrorists who committed the worst terrorist attack in Israel's history, where over 1,200 innocent children, women, and men were brutally murdered for being Jewish 2. Condemn Antisemitism.
In contrast, here is a previous resolution that I co-sponsored and that passed unanimously through the city council condemning the worst terrorist attack in New Zealand's history, where 50 Muslims were murdered for being Muslim.
As you can see, the resolutions are identical. The only difference is, this time, it was Jews who were being slaughtered.
THE DOUBLE STANDARD is something Jewish people are all too familiar with, and I, unfortunately, witnessed tonight. The difference between when my grandparents lived the double standard and now is I had the ability to call it out and did so immediately."[v]
Commenting on the Council’s action on behalf of the Maryland Republican Jewish Council, Jackie Sackstein said: “It is beyond disappointing to see the Council working against its Jewish constituents and caving to hate, especially considering how large the Jewish population is in Baltimore city. We sincerely urge them to reconsider and pass the resolution.”
[i] https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/baltimore-city-council-meeting-interrupted-by-pro-palestine-protest/
[ii] https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/baltimore-city-council-rejects-resolution-condemning-hamas-led-attack-on-israel-and-anti-semitism#
[iii] https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-power/local-government/baltimore-council-palestine-protest-IL4OEFMNK5FZPLMIHQFVIYXBU4/
[iv] https://www.baltimoresun.com/2023/12/04/council-hamas-vote/
[v] https://www.facebook.com/IsaacYitzy/