Calif. Jewish leaders blast socialist Mayor Eduardo Martinez over antisemitic conspiracy theories

Jewish leaders and groups in California’s Bay Area have blasted socialist Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez’s apology for sharing heinous antisemitic conspiracies online — and have even formed a new political advocacy organization over concerns about rising Jew-hate.

Martinez, a proud member of the ultra-left Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), is facing intense pressure to resign after he amplified sickening posts on LinkedIn claiming the Bondi Beach terror attack in Australia was a “false flag” operation and blaming Israel for rising antisemitism.

The embattled lefty pol deleted the posts and apologized, insisting, “We should not conflate Zionism with Judaism.”

However, critics are ripping the tepid regrets as a cop-out that failed to address the harm.

Sam Yebri, a former Los Angeles City Council candidate with strong ties to the LA Jewish community, said that sharing hateful rhetoric is “beyond a mistake” with dangerous real-world consequences.

“Martinez has consistently and repeatedly trafficked in the worst antisemitism imaginable, and now has put the lives of his Jewish constituents in jeopardy,” Yebri told The Post. 

Rabbi Dean Kertesz, a recently retired longtime rabbi of Temple Beth El in Richmond, who describes himself as both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian, also labeled Martinez’s actions as blatant “hatred of Jews.”

“My first reaction is anger,” Kertesz said.

“What we’re seeing is not legitimate criticism of Israeli policy. It’s hatred of Jews. And that’s where this road leads.”

The Bay Area Jewish community is so concerned about rising antisemitism that they have formed a new political advocacy organization.

It was launched last summer in response to what leaders described as a growing sense that traditional approaches were no longer enough.

The group was structured for political muscle — free to lobby, pressure lawmakers and engage in hard-nosed advocacy — a sharp break from the cautious, charity-only approach that has long defined many Jewish institutions.

“During this unprecedented and uncertain moment for Bay Area Jews, it is crucial that our community feels safe, heard and understood,” Neal Rubin, president of BAJA, told The Post.

“BAJA is an important new resource that will allow us to build real influence with lawmakers and advocate forcefully for our shared values.”

Jonathan Mintzer, the organization’s director, warned that antisemitism is no longer lurking in the shadows – but surfacing in mainstream politics and public office.

Mintzer insisted Mayor Martinez’s response exposed a deeper breakdown — not just poor judgment, but a failure of accountability. 

Martinez, he said, should confront “what a real apology actually means,” including acknowledging why the posts were harmful, how they stoked fear, and how rhetoric that demonizes Jews and Israelis can lay the groundwork for real-world violence.

Jeremy Russell, director of marketing and communications at Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), said that since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Richmond’s City Council — including members aligned with the DSA — has increasingly drawn the Israel-Hamas war into municipal governance.

This even culminated in a formal resolution declaring the city’s support and solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza.

Jewish leaders say the vote didn’t land in a vacuum. Instead, it amplified a growing sense of isolation and unease among Jewish residents, who watched an international conflict take center stage in local government chambers.

“This is something we felt we had to do,” Russell said of the newly formed advocacy group. “There’s a real perception that this is getting worse.”

This is a particular concern Russell has with Martinez.

“This didn’t start with one post,” he said. “We’ve engaged with the mayor and the city council before. We realized we were getting nowhere.”

Kertesz said Martinez’s role as mayor also magnifies the consequences, giving his words and actions added weight — and making the fallout far more dangerous.

“He’s the mayor,” Kertesz said. “What he says publicly reflects on the city. He doesn’t get to separate his politics from his office.”

The JCRC has circulated an open letter calling on Martinez to resign, citing what it described as a pattern of behavior rather than an isolated mistake.

The letter also flagged Martinez’s appearance at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit last summer, where he was photographed wearing a hat bearing the acronym “DDTTIDF,” which the Anti-Defamation League said is an acronym for “Death, Death to the Israeli Defense Forces.”

Martinez later said he did not understand the meaning of the acronym and does not condone violence — explanations Jewish leaders say only sharpened concerns about judgment and awareness.

The DSA, meanwhile, has taken openly anti-Israel positions, including calls to halt US military aid and support boycott efforts — stances Jewish leaders say have helped normalize antisemitism under the banner of political speech.

“Martinez must resign and leave public life forever, and other DSA candidates and elected officials like him should stop inviting violence against Jews in America,” said Yebri.

The Post reached out to Martinez’s office and the East Bay DSA for comment.

The DSA told The Post that it would pass our request to its Steering Committee Chairs.