SWP: Defend unions, Ukraine, Israel! Chart a working-class road forward – The Militant

[....] On Dec. 12, Margaret Trowe, SWP candidate for U.S. Congress from California’s District 12, and campaign supporters attended a Berkeley City Council meeting of hundreds considering a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

“Over 50 supporters of Israel’s right to exist protested the loud and disruptive campaign by opponents of Israel at the meeting,” reported campaign supporter Carole Lesnick. The pro-Hamas forces had disrupted the last two council meetings.

Participants were only granted one minute to speak. When Trowe began by saying, “I wish to speak against a cease-fire resolution,” opponents tried to shout her down, Lesnick told the Militant. But they failed.

“The Oct. 7 massacre initiated by Iran and Hamas demands a decisive response from working people and unions around the world,” Trowe said.

“The pogrom had one objective — to kill and take hostage as many Jews as possible, with the goal of eliminating Israel and Jews in the Middle East and beyond,” she said. “The fight against Jew-hatred is a life-and-death question. Israel was born out of necessity after the Holocaust when Washington turned away boatloads of Jews.

“A cease-fire is handing over a victory to Hamas,” she said, as jeers and catcalls continued. “A victory against Hamas will be a victory for working people who are Palestinian, Jewish and others around the world.”

As Trowe returned to her seat, she was greeted with cheers and handshakes by supporters of Israel’s right to exist.

Berkeley resident Tania Schweig told the meeting her sons have been harassed while wearing their yarmulkes. “Since Oct. 7, I feel increasing fear around being a Jew,” she testified. “On my morning walks I see signs and graffiti calling Jewish people Nazis and ‘Jesus killers.’”

The council failed to pass any resolution....

SWP: Defend unions, Ukraine, Israel! Chart a working-class road forward – The Militant