Governor Newsom Speaks Against Hamas as Oakland Residents Express Support

(DailyVantage.com) – Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has spoken up against the city council of Oakland after a video of a council meeting surfaced showing many members speaking up in support of Hamas and its devastating October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

“Hamas is a terrorist organization,” Newsom tweeted recently, adding that the Palestinian organization is plainly “evil” and should not be seen otherwise.

Fellow Democrat, Congressman Adam Schiff, echoed Newsom’s sentiments, saying that it was “shocking” to hear people in the meeting “downplay, deny, or even seek to justify” Hamas’s October 7 attacks. Schiff said that Hamas’ “horrific attacks, rapes, killings, and kidnappings” in Israel “must be condemned.

The comments from Newsome and Schiff come in the wake of the release of videos showing council members and attendees at the public council meeting not only showing support for Hamas but also state misinformation and fake news surrounding Hamas and its October 7 attacks.

One speaker who took the floor said that the news that thousands of Jews died on October 7 was a “fabricated narrative,” while another likened the Hamas attack to a wife who finally “stands up and fights back” against a “wifebeater.” Another comment made on the floor was that labeling Hamas as a terrorist organization was “ridiculous, racist, and plays into genocidal propaganda.” Yet another speaker who took the floor agreed, saying that Hamas should be supported as the “armed wing of the unified Palestinian resistance.”

The Oakland City Council also voted to approve a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, which also called for “unrestricted” access into the territory for organizations that supply humanitarian aid. The resolution is also asking that both parties—Israel and Hamas—”respect international law” and that all hostages be released.

The vote to condemn Hamas was a proposed amendment in the resolution, which was met with loud jeers from the audience gallery. This was despite attempts by the amendment’s authors to “de-politicize” the issue by “lifting up what we support and not what we condemn.”