There seem to be two types of people pushing for an Israeli cease-fire in Gaza: those who actively want Israel to lose the war and would like to see it ultimately destroyed, and those who dont necessarily hate Israel, but are troubled by the sight of suffering civilians. I can empathize with the latter view. I dont like seeing pictures of suffering people either. However, Israel didnt seek this war and it didnt want this war. But now that war has been forced upon it, it has no alternative but to win it.
A unilateral Israeli cease-fire would give Hamas time to regroup and rearm, and continue planning future atrocities, which would result in more deaths, more Israeli retaliation and more suffering. Those who claim to care deeply about the people of Gaza should not be demanding that Israel stop fighting, but should be demanding that Israel step up the fighting until Hamas is totally destroyed. The biggest obstacle to providing for the humanitarian needs of the Gazans is Hamas itself. It’s only when they’re gone that those needs can be properly addressed.
Martin Wasserman
>
>> From: Roberta Ahlquist
>> Date: August 31, 2025 at 12:22:24 PM PDT
>> To: Aram James
>> Cc: Henry Etzkowitz , Julie Lythcott-Haims , George for Palo Alto , Office of the Provost , Brian Good , Roseline Rasolovoahangy , City Council , WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto , Keith Reckdahl , Vicki Veenker , rabeh morrar , Aline Figlioli , Roberta Ahlquist , jessica@speiser.net, editor@paweekly.com, Gennady Sheyner , city.council@gilroy.org, CityCouncil , city.council@menlopark.gov, City Clerk , Andrew Binder , Rowena Chiu , Nicole Chiu-Wang , Pat M , vramirez@redwoodcity.org, Vara Ramakrishnan , Raymond Goins , Liz Kniss , Liz Gardner , Sheree Roth , Lori Meyers , Palo Alto Free Press , Lotus Fong , assemblymember.berman@assembly.ca.gov, Josh Becker , Jeff Conrad , Jeff Rosen , Jay Boyarsky , board@pausd.org, board@valleywater.org, BoardOperations , Betsy Nash , dcombs@menlopark.gov, GRP-City Council , PD Kristina Bell , Rob Baker , Rose Lynn , Yusra Hussain , Carla Torres , Brandon Pho , Jennifer Morrow San José Spotlight , Bill Newell , Zahra Billoo , Mila Zelkha
>> Subject: Re: Call To Action
>>
>> Why are you Council so paralyzed from ethical actions??!!. Let no more people die. Act NOW!
>> Roberta Ahlquist
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Aug 31, 2025, at 12:00 PM, Aram James wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> 8/31/2025
>>>
>>> Rabbi Etzkowitz,
>>>
>>> Do Say! Do Say! Will your thoughtful prayers be answered? A call out for courage from our leaders. Will your pleas for a cease-fire resolution and no more genocide be heeded ? Will the leader you have called upon for action be ready in this moment of dire consequences?
>>>
>>> “ First Amendment forever ”
>>> Avram
>>> Finkelstein
>>>
>>> On Sun, Aug 31, 2025 at 9:33 AM Henry Etzkowitz > wrote:
>>>> Be a profile in courage, not an exercise in pusillanimity From vaunted dais intro cease fre now resolution. In your inimitable style explain why you are acting at this juncture. Honour your mother. I knew VSO’s like her in Nigeria. Show inter generational continuity. Make her proud, not ashamed, of your tenure on Council. Follow in the footsteps of fellow Stanfordian, Herbert Hoover. Channel the great Humanitarian. Take care
>>>> “Action, not blah,blah “ cf Aline, São Paulo
>>>>
>>>> Henry Etzkowitz
>>>> https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.triplehelix.net&c=E,1,Vji-ryVosUIIXoZnyxvJXjg1s3Mz-j4_5H4WuZZhqx7gZeaBzN7OT12RFtILnVik9ZQ-ADIeM3Bx1RAFnK4OL0M1_AHicyQXt-7Y1MixLF82mc-Z51h5HaY,&typo=1
>>>>
>>>>> On Aug 30, 2025, at 6:31 PM, Aram James > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> 8/30/2025
>>>>>
>>>>> HI Henry,
>>>>>
>>>>> Julies base is all ready in front of her. Per recent polls only 8% of Democrats now support the genocide in Gaza. Its Time for Julie to break from the remainder of the cowards on the Palo Alto City Council and proclaim:
>>>>>
>>>>> “End The Genocide Now”
>>>>>
>>>>> Avram Finkelstein
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Julie is an eminently practical politician who will not get an inch in front of her base suggest broaden strategy;
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, Aug 30, 2025 at 3:54 PM Henry Etzkowitz > wrote:
>>>>>> When her base moves; Julie will speak out like Marjorie, whose evangelical base overcame their ideological predelictions and were able to see human made hunger and respond, giving implicit support to speak out.
>>>>>> Julie is an eminently practical politician who will not get an inch in front of her base suggest broaden strategy; call for public teach in Council Chambers, invite Stanford and other experts to present comparative historical view of starvation strategies with a view to where Gaza does or doesn’t fit.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In the Vietnam crisis, opening of 1969 academic year,
>>>>>> Washington university faculty senate meeting called by Prof Barry commoner, put this strstegy, formulated in a resolution by a junior faculty member, forming university-labor business coalition to implement. Event at St. Louis teamsters hq had Daniel Ellsberg as one of its speakers.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Who will be our “Barry Commoner” Convener? nominate Prof Condaleeza Rice, director Hoover Institute as most appropriate person by dint of academic and public service.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sincerely
>>>>>> Henry Etzkowitz
>>>>>> Neighbors for Environmental and Social Justice
>>>>>> https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fWww.triplehelix.net&c=E,1,_4z_YQ5IyMGmRpxiu55RBtc0EAZrgUmh_w0ORQt8kFI2Rxbg18iv-ZhE6tNbBoPaCvT8Hn8z5EBVuDO8Qf7izhk_7LqbE7LlBKjVibSe6DDTA8QElRh5T-gqODA,&typo=1
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Aug 30, 2025, at 3:17 PM, Aram James > wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> X,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We have to keep encouraging Julie to speak-out. She did a great job with the ICE issue. I keep pushing Julie and the hapless vice mayor Vicki—to call out the Genocide. Maybe Julie never Vicki who has allowed AIPAC to pull her strings since Oct 7. As I have told Vicki multiple times: your obituary will read clever politician and great lawyer who remained silent as the Israelis continue to commit genocide. A woman with no soul. Its all about Vicki’s climb up the political ladder. Disgusting!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Avram Finkelstein