RICHMOND — A Bay Area Jewish organization called Thursday for Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez to resign after he shared a series of controversial social media posts related to a recent mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration in Australia.
The Jewish Community Relations Council issued an open letter asserting the mayor “has demonstrated an alarming and ongoing pattern of conduct that falls far short” of the standards necessary to lead a city of more than 100,000 people.
The letter was released after Martinez shared a collection of posts on his LinkedIn account that claimed the incident on Dec. 14 at Australia’s Bondi Beach was a “false flag.” The massacre resulted in 15 deaths and dozens of injuries, according to the Associated Press.
Posts shared by Martinez also claimed Israel was behind a series of anti-Jewish threats, argued public Hanukkah celebrations act as “statements of power,” and claimed the behavior of Israel and its citizens is the root cause of antisemitism.
“No community should be led by someone whose conduct contributes to fear, division, and exclusion. This is a stark example of where toxic social media, unchecked rhetoric, and the constant demonization of Israel and Jews can lead — and why it must be confronted,” the open letter stated.
Martinez acknowledged the posts in an apology on his LinkedIn account. In the apology, Martinez said Zionism and Judaism should not be conflated, asserting “they are two separate beliefs.”
The mayor said he initially planned to keep the posts on his profile to avoid appearing as if he was trying to hide his actions, but ultimately decided to remove them out of concern people would think he agreed with them.
“I want to assure everyone that these postings are my opinions (or my mistakes) and mine only. They are not statements from my office or the city of Richmond. If I make a mistake, that mistake is mine only. Once again, I apologize for posting in haste without full understanding of the posting,” Martinez wrote.
In response to another comment questioning the mayor’s motives, Martinez said he shared the posts to seek analysis and “did not agree nor disagree with the text because I did not understand the point of it.” He said the experience has taught him not to share things he does not understand.
“I am a pacifist with no tolerance for violence,” Martinez said.
Martinez did not immediately respond to requests for comment from this news organization.
The mayor’s recent actions on social media come months after Martinez spoke at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit where he likened himself to Hamas, a state designated terrorist organization responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that left 1,200 people dead.
Israel’s military response has resulted in the deaths of more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to PBS News which cited Gaza’s Health Ministry. Both sides have been accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
A contentious, and at times violent, relationship between Israelis and Palestinians over the decades led to the Oct. 7 attack, Martinez said during the Aug. 29 event. He said questions asking whether he supported Hamas were complicated, and then told a story about being a child on the playground who stuck up for himself and was labeled the transgressor.
“If Palestine were a school yard playground, I would be a Palestinian. And that part of me that couldn’t endure the abuse anymore would be Hamas,” Martinez said.