A Bay Area Jewish advocacy organization is calling for Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez’s resignation, accusing him of spreading conspiracy theories about a deadly terror attack in Sydney, Australia.
The Bay Area chapter of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) said in an open letter sent to Bay Area media organizations that Martinez has “posted repeatedly on LinkedIn spreading false conspiracies blaming Jews for the Bondi Beach terror attack.”
Two gunmen killed 15 people, including a child, during the Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration on Sunday in what Australian authorities called an antisemitic terror attack linked to an “Islamic State group.”
Martinez, 76, a former public school teacher, was elected as Richmond’s mayor in November of 2022. He has served on the city council since 2014 and is a member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance. He has indicated he plans to run for reelection in the city’s primary election in June of 2026.
Screenshots of the LinkedIn posts were sent to Richmondside on Thursday.
Martinez told Richmondside Thursday he acknowledged “making the mistake” of reposting the content and said he apologizes. He also posted an apology on his LinkedIn page on Wednesday, emphasizing that the posts were not “from my office or the city of Richmond.”
“I made mistakes. I admit the mistakes, and I apologize for them,” Martinez told Richmondside. “When someone makes a mistake, they should own it, and I have.”
Martinez, who due to illness was absent from Tuesday’s Richmond City Council meeting, where he was set to give a state of the city report, said that he misread one post suggesting “the actions of Israel and Israelis is causing antisemitism” before reposting it and said that when he reposted it, he interpreted it as stating that Israel’s actions were causing an “increase” in antisemitism.
“I’ve been ill, so my head hasn’t been that clear,” he said. “No excuses, just an explanation of where I was when I reposted that.”
Mayor’s speech at Palestine conference also has drawn criticism
The call for his resignation comes three months after Martinez made remarks at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit in August. There he appeared to find common ground between his life experiences and those of the violent extremist group Hamas, wearing a hat bearing the acronym “DDTTIDF,” which, according to the Anti-Defamation League, stands for “Death, Death To The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).”
In that speech, Martinez said his childhood experiences of being physically and verbally bullied by his peers in Texas shaped his views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East.
“After so much torture, I couldn’t help but lash out. I was filled with frustration, and it came out with the ferocity of retaliation,” he said in the speech. “If Palestine were a schoolyard playground, I would be a Palestinian, and that part of me that couldn’t endure the abuse anymore would be Hamas.”
“Taken together, these actions reflect a consistent and deeply troubling disregard for the safety and dignity of Jewish people,” the JCRC letter stated. “No community should be led by someone whose conduct contributes to fear, division, and exclusion.”
Regarding the hat bearing “DDTTIDF” that he wore at the conference, Martinez told Richmondside Thursday he had no idea what the acronym stood for when someone asked to take his picture wearing it.
“What they told me was that it was an anti-MAGA hat, you know, because it was red,” Martinez said, referring to the Trump slogan, “Make America Great Again.” “I guess my mistake was in being too trusting.”
Martinez added that those criticizing his speech misunderstood it.
“I did not say I compared myself to Hamas,” he said. “I said that a part of me that cannot endure more injustice is Hamas. I don’t condone violence of any sort from anyone and people seem to not hear me say that because they just want to hear what they want to hear.”
The JCRC open letter also criticized Martinez’s role in Richmond becoming the first city in the nation to pass a Gaza ceasefire resolution following the events of Oct. 7, 2023. The decision was made during a contentious Oct. 24 city council meeting that saw public comment from both sides last late into the night.
In April, Martinez spoke at a Berkeley City Council meeting where those elected officials decided not to call for Gaza ceasefire, angering pro-Palestinian protesters.
“Leadership requires accountability,” the JCRC letter added. “When an elected official’s words and actions make a segment of the community feel unsafe and abandoned by their government, that official can no longer effectively serve. The tragic mass shooting in Sydney last week is just the latest example of how exactly this sort of antisemitic rhetoric can lead to violence. This is a stark example of where toxic social media, unchecked rhetoric, and the constant demonization of Israel and Jews can lead — and why it must be confronted.”
JCRC told Richmondside that the letter represented their views and they didn’t wish to comment further on the matter.
Martinez said he has, throughout the day, received “despicable” emails and that those calling for his resignation “are not ready to accept an apology” from him.
“We need to listen to each other with compassion, understanding,” Martinez added. “To understand someone’s point of view is not the same as condoning it.”
Richmondside asked Martinez if he considered whether his stance on conflicts in the Middle East could have an impact on his chances of reelection.
“I did not,” Martinez answered.
