Gaza War Puts California Leaders in Hot Seat

The frustrations of those calling for a ceasefire in Gaza boiled over in protests that shut down the California Democratic Party convention over the weekend.

But the activism has been building since Israel started retaliating for the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 — and as more and more Palestinian civilians have been killed in Gaza, explains CalMatters state Capitol reporter Sameea Kamal.

Though they don’t have a direct role in U.S. policy, California’s elected officials are being forced to navigate the politics of the Gaza war by advocacy groups on all sides, responding to events halfway around the world — such as the tentative deal Tuesday between Israel and Hamas to release some hostages.

Palestinian leaders in California say they haven’t received the same state response as the Jewish community, and advocates want officials to do more in addressing the concerns of their Arab constituents.

But after the convention protests — and Sameea’s inquiries — the state told CalMatters that it hopes to send aid to Gaza this week, and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said he plans to meet soon with Arab and Muslim leaders.

There are likely many reasons behind the uneven response: There are more than 1.2 million Jewish Californians, and only about 715,000 Arab Americans. And while the executive director of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California noted that Jewish community groups have spent years building relationships with legislators, the executive director of the Arab American Civic Council said that Arab communities have been discouraged from civic engagement after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks spurred “unreasonable surveillance.”

Some legislators have attempted to walk the tightrope, calling for a more “middle ground approach” that lands somewhere short of a full ceasefire. But that rhetoric does not sit well with advocates, including Hatem Bazian, a lecturer at the UC Berkeley’s ethnic studies department. During a speech outside the state Capitol on Friday, the well-known pro-Palestinian activist said that in terms of political engagement and mobilization, “we are in a different era.”

• Bazian: “If you don’t vote and support the issues we care about, we don’t care about whether you speak Arabic and you say ‘Salam-u-alaikium’ in a decrepit way, or you say you like our food … What I want to see is how you voted. This is not a community that will be taken for granted from now on.”

California colleges are also toeing a fine line with how to handle protests, as they try to physically and emotionally protect all students on campus without ostracizing either side. To voice their concerns, student activists are organizing a variety of demonstrations, which include vigils, art installations, walk-outs, car parades and more. And while some colleges, such as Cal State Fullerton, have held events to encourage public dialogue, students on some campuses expressed disappointment in their college’s position, or failing to reassure student safety.

Read more about California’s political debate over the war in Sameea’s story.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.