The City of Grass Valley Condemns Genocide

On February 25th, 2025 at 10:13pm the city of Grass Valley passed a resolution 3-1 in support of a resolution supporting a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an immediate arms embargo to Israel, and an end to the occupation of Palestine.

Beginning in November of 2023 Grass Valley residents have been present at every city council meeting advocating for the City of Grass Valley to publicly condemn Israel's genocide of Palestine. Since then the City of Nevada City located only a few miles from Grass Valley passed a ceasefire resolution in September of 2024. Nevada City's resolution was after a $30,000 facilitated process in which the city council attempted bring together zionists and anti-zionists, but failed to result much worthwhile. Instead Nevada City ended up with a lackluster resolution that failed to use the words, genocide, apartheid, or ethnic cleansing, and failed to include a demand for an arms embargo.

Unlike Nevada City's resolution, Grass Valley's which was introduced by council member Tom Ivy 2 weeks ago publicly calls out the siege of Gaza as a genocide. Further it goes onto to define Israel's racist system as apartheid, and calls for an immediate end to the occupation of Palestine and an end to illegal settlements. It then takes the step of publicly supporting a US arms embargo to Israel and all other nations committing war crimes.

Despite racist comments and lies being spread during the meeting, community members of conscious showed up in numbers and shared heartfelt comments in support of Palestine and the resistance. After several hours of public comment and city council deliberation the resolution was supported by council member Tom Ivy, council member Joe Bonomolo, and Mayor Hillary Hodge, while being fervently opposed by council member Jan Arbuckle.

While this resolution is a step in the right direction, we must stay steadfast in our support for Palestine and the resistance. While this is a win, victory won't come until the occupation ends and Palestine is free, from the river to the sea.

Long live the resistance, long live Palestine.