Swalwell Meeting Yields Lukewarm Response
Community members meet with Representative Swalwell about a ceasefire in Gaza, but the Rep guaranteed nothing of substance
As he placed his hands on his chin, having committed to “aggressively listening,” Representative Eric Swalwell spent 40 minutes listening to comments from a diverse group of 19 constituents who attempted to convince him to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, stop sending military funding to Israel, and commit to a peace process between the governments of Israel and Palestine. Despite it all, there was little indication that he would commit to the action that thousands of residents of California’s 14th Congressional District have called for: an end to the Palestinian genocide.
The pessimism is grounded in the reality of funding and inaction. According to reporting in the East Bay Echo, Representative Swalwell has historically been a recipient of pro-Israeli government lobbying (though, it should be noted, he’s hardly alone in this regard), including a $30,000 all-expenses paid trip to Israel earlier this year from the J Street Education Fund (which he also made note of during the discussion). Also, as a Federal-level Democrat, he’s been toeing the Party line on the Palestinian genocide, doubtless taking cues from Joe Biden who has been an outspoken supporter of the Israeli apartheid state.
Despite the well-funded opposition, the gathered constituents of Congressional District 14 shared their opinions on the subject of Palestine. One person, a professor of Middle East Studies, relayed that the narrative is turning and they had already given 10 talks on the subject in a single month. “The Palestinian narrative is being heard globally… Be on the right side of history.” They also pushed for a ceasefire and larger peace process, framing it as the only way for Israel to get the peace it desires: “Israel will not have peace unless Palestinians have peace, unless they have their freedom, unless they have their dignity—their self-determination.”
Another constituent, a self-identified Anti-Zionist Jew, also pointed to the turning tide of public opinion, identifying younger Jews changing the rhetoric from “‘It will never happen again to us’ to ‘it will never happen again to anyone.’” They also spoke about how they became anti-Zionist after a trip to Israel in their young adulthood: “I went to Israel a Zionist, and left as an anti-Zionist.” They seemed confused that Representative Swalwell, after multiple trips to the region himself, hadn’t come to a similar conclusion.
A person who works in the medical profession highlighted the damage being done to children and their families due to the continuous Israeli bombardment, “A boy was getting his foot amputated under light sedation. He was awake when it happened.” They further pushed that huge volumes of humanitarian aid are necessary, even after a ceasefire, “The pain does not end when the bombing ends.”
And our own Hayward City Councilmember George Syrop admitted how difficult it has been to speak out in support of a ceasefire as an elected official: “I’ve been mocked and criticized for being the only councilmember to call for a ceasefire.” If there were more support from other elected officials, the comments may change. He also drew it back to the local level “For me, this has everything to do with Hayward… It’s our tax dollars that are funding this genocide.” To say nothing of the continued trauma being inflicted on Palestinian residents and citizens within constituent cities.
When space was made for him to respond, Representative Swalwell seemed to focus on semantics, saying that he wanted to know “what a ceasefire means” to the group. “Does ceasefire, to any of you, does that mean that any hostages, living or dead, are returned for a ceasefire?” signaling that he felt there should be conditions that need to be met in order for a ceasefire to be possible. He also implied disbelief that Hamas would abide by any agreed upon ceasefire, saying “Does ceasefire mean not another rocket from Hamas fired into Israel?”
When he continued the conversation in a car, however, he gave a bit more form to what he wanted:
In an ideal world, we get back to, at the very least, just practically, October 6. Meaning every hostage that is taken and is alive is back with their families in Israel, no rockets fired from Israel, no rockets from Hamas
As was pointed out by many of the constituents present, it is impossible to turn back the clock and that, for Palestinians, that is still a return to an apartheid state where their movement is restricted and Israel controls communications, power, and other important infrastructure in Gaza. The status quo was never going to lead to peace, and a return to October 6 as a goal falls short of what is needed to ensure a lasting peace. As one person put it, “Going back to October 6 isn't necessarily going to undo the cycle of violence.”
There was a small ray of hope, however, that he could change his mind with the help of local elected officials. When one constituent pointed out that CA-10 Representative Mark DeSaulnier called for a ceasefire, he seemed eager to point out that it was a “negotiated ceasefire” in his understanding, though he did not clarify what that meant or how it was different from what the group was asking for. He also showed appropriate deference to the City Councilmember in attendance, which may mean that Rep. Swalwell could be swayed by other elected officials taking the first step.
The constituents in attendance pushed for a Town Hall meeting to allow a broader section of the public a chance to weigh in on the subject of a ceasefire. And a tired Representative did not say no. He did, however, express the desire to have advanced notice, and during the Holiday Season, that can be increasingly difficult to come by. As those in attendance attempted to stress to the Representative, the Palestinians don’t have the luxury of time. Perhaps if more Bay Area elected officials, Democratic Clubs, and area Representatives speak their mind, those with power may be pushed to use it to save lives.