Jewish group calls for resignation of Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez after shared antisemitic LinkedIn posts
There's a call for the resignation of Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez Thursday in the wake of a flurry of antisemitic social media posts.
"We are asking elected leaders from across the Bay Area and those on his city council to condemn these comments and tell him that he's unfit to serve his community," said Jonathan Mintzer, Senior Director of Government Affairs for the Jewish Community Relations Council.
In an open letter Thursday, the JCRC condemned posts shared by the mayor on LinkedIn , blaming Israel for the Bondi Beach attack. That and several other posts are factually inaccurate.
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"The evidence is very clear that he is unfit to serve and is unable to protect his community," said Mintzer. "This ongoing use of antisemitic tropes has real-world impacts like we saw in Sydney."
"I see no need to resign. You know, I acknowledge my mistakes. I apologize for them, and I'm ready to move forward I've reached out to the Jewish community for communication and understanding," said Mayor Martinez, noting he is working on educating himself.
"I'm really devastated by what's going on in Gaza," he said. "I feel frustrated that there's nothing I can do. And the only outlet that I have is to express my personal opinions on LinkedIn."
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Richmond City Council Member Sue Wilson wrote in a statement: "I support and appreciate the Mayor's important work on behalf of Palestinian rights, but I agree with those who have pointed out that some of his recent social media re-posts missed the mark. I let him know my thoughts. He has started the process of making public apologies and reaching out to Jewish community leaders to talk. I think he deserves a chance to do that."
Meanwhile, the JCRC says the mayor has yet to reach out.
"It had been made aware to me that he issued what some may consider to be an apology but there are many of these posts that still remain up and again this is a pattern of behavior with the mayor," said Mintzer.
Despite the mayor's efforts to defend himself, the JCRC says it will continue with its push for his resignation.
