Contributor
Beverly Hills appears to be the first-ever US city to condemn the Iranian and Qatari governments for supporting the militant group Hamas, which massacred civilians in Israel.
The Beverly Hills mayor, Dr. Julian Gold, and city council, including an Iranian-American lawmaker, Tuesday blasted the Islamist terrorist movement Hamas and its allies—the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Qatari government— for their role in the mass murder of at least 1,400 people, including around 30 Americans, on October 7 in southern Israel.
Iran International obtained a copy of the resolution, which notes that “The City of Beverly Hills unequivocally condemns those who have supported Hamas, harbored Hamas, and who have after the fact celebrated the death of the Jews and praised the Hamas terrorism attacks in state sponsored media, including the Islamic Republic of Iran and Qatar.”
Iran openly takes credit for supporting Hamas, while Qatar allows the militant group to maintain an office on its soil and provides safe haven to its leaders.
John Mirisch, the former mayor of Beverly Hills and currently a city councilman, told Iran International “I repeated my call for the Qatari consulate to be expelled from Beverly Hills, along with the call for an investigation into the financial interests of state sponsors of terrorism (i.e. Qatar and Iran) in Beverly Hills.”
Mirisch has spearheaded the move to confront the role of the alleged state-sponsors of terrorism, Iran and Qatar, in the massacre.
In August, Iran International reported on Mirisch’s call for the city council to investigate the pro-Iranian regime former Qatari prime minister Hamad Bin Jassim (HBJ) for his antisemitic comment. HBJ operates the Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills.
The British paper Manchester Evening News reported Monday on Iran International’s report covering HBJ and the role the Iran International article ostensibly played in forcing HBJ and his son to withdraw their bid to buy the English Premier League football club Manchester United.
The Iranian-American Beverly Hills city councilwoman, Sharona R. Nazarian, told Iran International “Hamas is not only a threat to the Middle East, but a threat to Western civilization and our way of life as we know it. This conflict is not about territory. It is about terrorism. “
She added, “We are strong and stand united regardless of religion, nation of origin or political affiliation against such acts of terror and violence, sending a resounding message that these actions will not be tolerated. We are committed to justice, peace, and the undeniable right of Israel to protect itself from those who seek to destroy it. The difference between right and wrong; good and evil is now. “
The resolution stated, “These terrorists committed unimaginable acts of savagery including mass rape and the systematic massacre of whole families and the brutalization and slaughter of babies and small children; and there were joyful celebrations of the massacre of Jews in Gaza by Hamas and their supporters.”
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) on Tuesday published a report titled “Presenters, Reporters From Qatar's Al-Jazeera Praise Hamas Attack, Celebrate Israel's Disaster.”
The United States has classified Iran's regime as the worst international state-sponsor of terrorism. The American government designated Hamas a foreign terrorist organization. Qatar has faced accusations from US congressional representatives and European politicians that it finances terrorism.
