Hi everyone, we wanted to provide a brief update after the latest council meeting on February 13th. More than three weeks have passed since Councilmember Tammy Kim’s unhinged rant during the January 23rd meeting regarding her opposition to a ceasefire resolution.[1] On February 13th, she gleefully posed with zionists for photos while continuing to ignore her Palestinian constituents and their allies who once again stayed for hours to advocate for a ceasefire.
Meanwhile Israel has begun bombing Rafah, the last designated “safe zone” in Gaza where 1.4 million Palestinians have been taking refuge.[2] This escalation in murderous violence coincided with superbowl sunday, marking over 5 months of genocide. Israeli settlers have also been physically blocking the Nitzana border crossing to prevent humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.[3] On February 13th, the US Senate also passed a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine and Israel, continuing its support of Israel’s genocidal campaign that has killed over 28,000 people.[4]
We must reiterate that the core of the Asian-American project is international political solidarity. Palestine is a part of West Asia and is central to our connected struggles—across borders and beyond nation states—against settler-colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism. Tammy Kim exploits the weight of this project’s history to construct a flimsy veneer of cultural inclusivity in Irvine defined by the settler-coloniality of the USA.[5]
It is clear now that Tammy Kim is not moved by ethical principles. She is self-absorbed and fixated on her political future. A person with such appalling lack of empathy, who only selectively acknowledges constituents, is unfit to serve in any civic capacity.
We must put an end to Tammy Kim’s political career at the November 5th, 2024 general election. This petition is one of many resources we can deploy to inform each other of her failure to serve competently on city council, to stand on the right side of history, and to act in true solidarity with Palestine as an Asian-American politician.
The work does not end with the Irvine City Council. We must continue to support Palestinian resistance to and liberation from US-backed Israeli occupation. Our strength is in our collectivity and clarity in conviction. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
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[1]: Tammy Kim’s statement on January 23rd, 2024: https://youtu.be/_rlWP8Fvp7Y
[2]: Visualizing Palestine: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3P0UTZI9VR/ https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Vn2v4xoL2/
[3]: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240210-israeli-settlers-block-aid-trucks-from-entering-gaza/
[4]: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/politics/senate-foreign-aid-bill-ukraine/index.html
[5]: Viet Thanh Nguyen on Asian-American solidarity with Palestine: https://www.thenation.com/article/world/palestine-asia-orientalism-expansive-solidarity/