Calabasas City Council Condemns Hamas' Attack On Israel

CALABASAS, CA — The City Council on Oct. 11 signed an open letter condemning Hamas' attacks on Israel.

You can read the full text of the letter below:

On October 7, 2023, the Jewish holy day of Shemini Atzeret, Hamas terrorists launched a coordinated and brutal attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. As part of the heinous attack and in the hours that followed, Hamas breached Israeli borders, some as paratroopers, indiscriminately bombed densely populated cities, and infiltrated communities killing and kidnapping innocent civilians.

As expected, the world quickly learned of the attack through the terrorist own social media, texts, and the traditional news media. What the world saw was shocking: Hamas ruthlessly killed, beheaded, burnt, and tortured Israelis as well as citizens from other countries, including the United States. The world saw how Hamas fired thousands of rockets indiscriminately into Israeli towns and cities as far away as Tel Aviv, with no regard to where they landed or who they killed. The world saw how Hamas kidnapped more than 150 people, raping women and children, killing some and using them as bargaining chips or so-called human shields. Many of those still being held are not Israeli soldiers or other combatants — they are regular men, women, children, the elderly — including a survivor of the Holocaust in a wheelchair — as well as infants and young children as young as infants.

These 1,200+ people who died at the hands of Hamas could have been any of us; they were average people. They were killed attending a peace music festival, killed while sitting at a bus stop, killed inside their homes, killed while driving in their own neighborhoods.

Despite the anger directed at Hamas by virtually every peace-loving nation on Earth, we must remember these acts were perpetrated by a terrorist organization, Hamas, with the likely aid of another terrorist organization, Hezbollah, based in southern Lebanon. Terrorists did this. More Jews were killed on October 7, 2023, than any single day since the Holocaust. Most were innocent civilians.

In light of these facts, the City of Calabasas condemns these violent and deplorable atrocities carried out by Hamas against Israel and all innocent civilians.

We, the City Council of the City of Calabasas unite our voices with others in declaring support for Israel, and reaffirm our stance against violence and hatred in any form. Israel has a right to defend itself. We reach out and offer any support, substantive or emotional, to our Sister City M'tzerith, Tzion.

We also wish to express our heartfelt grief for those who have lost loved ones and to those who have family and friends who are being held hostage. We call upon the President of the United States and United States Congress to take immediate action to support Israel and condemn all terrorism, particularly Hamas.

Respectfully,

City of Calabasas Councilmembers

David J. Shapiro, Mayor
Alicia Weintraub, Mayor pro Tem
Edward Albrecht, Councilmember
James R. Bozajian, Councilmember
Peter Kraut, Councilmember