Callers urge Ann Arbor to oppose military aid to Israel; public comment includes charged allegations

Several members of the public used reserved time at the council meeting on May 4 to press the City Council on U.S. and Israeli actions in the Middle East.

A caller identifying as Dr. Sabaibi Isfani in Tehran said: "I am calling you once again demanding that you pass the resolution that says we are against military aid to Israel." The caller framed the request both in moral terms and as a politically expedient move for elected officials, urging the council to "pass a resolution that says we are against military aid to this genocidal entity."

Earlier in the public-comment block, Henry Herskovitz criticized a council member’s response to his earlier remarks and made sweeping and inflammatory statements about Israel and Jewish people, including assertions that "the crime against the Palestinian people is being committed by a Jewish state" and charged characterizations of Jewish influence in media and government. Those remarks included allegations and historical characterizations that some listeners may find offensive or discriminatory.

The council did not take any immediate action on a local resolution about federal military aid. Remarks made during public comment represent individuals’ views and were not presented as council positions.

Claims and allegations made during public comment were not substantiated within the meeting record; no council member offered an immediate factual rebuttal on the record during the public comment period.