The democratic socialist mayor of Richmond, California, Eduardo Martinez, escaped censure in a 5-2 vote by the city council several weeks after he reposted a social media post that claimed the antisemitic Bondi Beach massacre in Australia was a "false flag operation" and blamed Israel and Israelis for rising antisemitism.
Several of the council members admitted that they had not had time to review the resolution in advance, infuriating the council members who authored the censure.
“To say that you didn’t have an opportunity to read a resolution does not negate the fact that we have a responsibility as a council to answer to the community,” Councilmember Jamelia Brown, the co-author of the motion, said. “If you have a pulse and you’re in the city of Richmond, then you know what’s transpired. You know what’s going on.”
At least 100 community members voiced their frustration over Mayor Martinez's lack of accountability, but plenty more voiced support for him.
Although the vote failed, it is scheduled to be on the agenda for a January 20th meeting.
What's worse is that this is not the first time that Martinez has engaged in concerning antisemitic behavior.
Following the October 7th attack on Israel, Mayor Martinez likened himself to the Hamas terrorists and tried to make his city the first in the U.S. to pass a resolution that included no condemnation of Hamas.
According to a statement by the Jewish Community Relations Council:
Earlier this year, Mayor Martinez spoke at a conference in Detroit where he compared himself to Hamas and wore a hat calling for the death of the IDF. After the atrocities of October 7, he also pushed Richmond to become the first US city to pass a ceasefire resolution that included no condemnation of Hamas.
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They wrote that "Mayor Eduardo Martinez, an elected official responsible for more than 100,000 residents, has engaged in a disturbing pattern of antisemitic conduct."
In recent days, he has shared multiple LinkedIn posts that appear to blame Jews for the Bondi Beach terror attack. This sadly is a clear example of where toxic social media and the constant dehumanization of Israel and Jews leads. Such rhetoric is dangerous, offensive, and unacceptable from any public official. This is not an isolated incident.
They added that "Mayor Martinez’s words and actions undermine trust and make Jewish residents feel unsafe in their own city. For the good of Richmond and its community, Mayor Eduardo Martinez must resign."
Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, an elected official responsible for more than 100,000 residents, has engaged in a disturbing pattern of antisemitic conduct. In recent days, he has shared multiple LinkedIn posts that appear to blame Jews for the Bondi Beach terror attack. This… pic.twitter.com/BhzDj0gQ7V
— JCRC Bay Area (@SFJCRC) December 18, 2025
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