The mayor of Richmond, California, a city long known for its progressive politics, is facing intense criticism from Jewish leaders and residents over a series of statements and social media posts that many have condemned as antisemitic. Mayor Eduardo Martinez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has become a flashpoint in the national debate over how the American left addresses issues related to Israel and antisemitism, particularly in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.
In October 2023, Richmond became the first city in the United States to pass a ceasefire resolution following the Hamas attacks on Israel. The resolution declared solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and accused Israel of carrying out “a campaign of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment,” according to a page on the city’s website that has since been deleted. The move sparked immediate controversy among Jewish residents, many of whom felt the resolution was less about criticizing Israeli policy and more about justifying the Hamas attack.
Stephen London, a Jewish Richmond resident, told Fox News Digital that before October 7, he had not paid much attention to local politics. However, the ceasefire resolution prompted him to start watching city council meetings closely. “Whatever your politics are about the Middle East, what the hell does it have to do with Richmond?” London asked, noting that his family lives in Israel and that he has visited the country multiple times.
Tensions escalated further in August 2025 when Martinez attended the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit. At the conference, he was photographed wearing a hat that read “DD TT IDF,” an acronym for “death, death to the IDF.” During his speech, Martinez compared himself to Palestinians, stating, “If Palestine were a schoolyard playground, I would be a Palestinian, and that part of me, that part of me that couldn’t endure the abuse anymore, would be Hamas.” The remarks drew widespread condemnation from Jewish leaders in the Bay Area.
Tyler “Tye” Gregory, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Bay Area, said that while criticism of Israeli government policy could be understood, Martinez’s statements went far beyond that. “This was really just glorifying Hamas and demonizing the Jewish state as Jewish residents of Richmond were grieving, grieving for the worst attack on the Jewish people since the end of the Holocaust with October 7th,” Gregory said.
The tipping point for many Jewish leaders came after the December 2025 Hanukkah attack in Bondi Beach, Australia. Martinez shared posts on LinkedIn that contained conspiracy theories about the attack. One post read, “RIP to all of the victims of Israel’s false flag attack. The hero that disarmed the attacker was a Syrian-born Muslim man. That doesn’t help the narrative that Israel is trying so hard to push.” Another post stated that “the root cause of antisemitism is the behaviour of Israel & Israelis,” and was captioned, “They know it. We know it. Everybody knows it…”
The JCRC Bay Area called on Martinez to resign, describing his rhetoric as “dangerously antisemitic, deeply offensive, and wholly unacceptable—particularly coming from a sitting mayor.” The organization added that the posts, combined with Martinez’s past behavior, reflected “a consistent and deeply troubling disregard for the safety and dignity of Jewish people.”
In response to the backlash, Martinez issued an apology on Facebook, expressing regret and stating that he did not “fully read and understand” the posts he shared. “I failed to fully read and understand the meaning behind what I was reposting, and inadvertently spread content that was factually inaccurate, conspiratorial, and portrayed Judaism in a negative light,” he wrote. “As Mayor, I have a responsibility to represent all of Richmond and to bring people together. In this instance, I fell short of that responsibility.” He pledged to engage in personal reflection and meet with members of the communities he had harmed.
Reactions to the apology were mixed. Some commenters on the post defended Martinez, arguing that he was on the right side of history by opposing Israel, while others expressed disappointment and called for his resignation. The controversy has highlighted the deep divisions within the progressive movement over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Richmond serving as a microcosm of the broader national debate.
Richmond, a city of about 116,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area, has a history of progressive activism, including a successful campaign to raise the minimum wage and efforts to hold Chevron accountable for environmental damage. However, the focus on international issues has left some residents questioning their local leaders’ priorities. The situation in Richmond offers a glimpse into the challenges facing the American left as it grapples with the complex and emotionally charged issues surrounding Israel and antisemitism.