HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdopt Resolution No. 2024-55 Authorizing a Twin City Partner sUNTINGr 2000 Main Street,
ot,. � F Huntington Beach,CA
City of Huntington Beach APPROVED
VED 5-0-2
(MOSER,KALMICK-ABSTAIN
File #: 24-740 MEETING DATE: 10/15/2024
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Eric G. Parra, Interim City Manager
VIA: Travis K. Hopkins, Assistant City Manager
PREPARED BY: Jennifer Carey, Deputy City Manager
Subject:
Adopt Resolution No. 2024-55 Authorizing a Twin City Partnership with the City of Ramat Gan,
Israel
Statement of Issue:
On September 17, 2024, the City Council approved a Council Member Item brought forward by
Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark and Council Member Tony Strickland directing the City Manager's Office
to implement steps to establish a Memorandum of Understanding as Sister Cities with Ramat Gan,
Israel.
Financial Impact:
No fiscal impact.
Recommended Action:
Adopt Resolution No. 2024-55, "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach,
California Authorizing a Twin City Partnership with the City of Ramat-Gan, Israel."
Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve, and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
At the City Council meeting on September 17, 2024, a Council Member Item was brought forward by
Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark and Council Member Tony Strickland directing staff to implement steps
for the City of Huntington Beach to participate in a cultural, economic, and collaborative program with
Ramat Gan, Israel by establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as Sister Cities. The City
Council approved of the establishment of a committee made up of three Council Members, to be
appointed by the Mayor, and City staff, appointed by the City Manager, to work together to develop
this partnership with Ramat Gan, Israel and return to City Council at a future date.
City of Huntington Beach Page 1 of 2 Printed on 10/9/2024
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File #: 24-740 MEETING DATE: 10/15/2024
The committee, made up of Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark, Mayor Pro Tern Pat Burns, Council
Member Tony Strickland, and Jennifer Carey, worked with the City of Ramat Gan to develop a "Twin
City" partnership, with Israel Global Foundation (IGF) acting as the non-profit liaison between the two
cities. Resolution No. 2024-55 was drafted to solidify the partnership between the three parties for a
term of three years with the option to renew on an ongoing basis.
IGF will serve as the liaison between Huntington Beach and Ramat Gan, providing fundraising efforts
to develop programming, education, and cultural experiences in both Huntington Beach and Ramat
Gan to further foster better understanding of each City and engage the communities.
Environmental Status:
This action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections
15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change
in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the
CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for
resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non Applicable -Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution No. 2024-55
City of Huntington Beach Page 2 of 2 Printed on 10/9/2024
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65
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-55
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA
AUTHORIZING A TWIN CITY PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE CITY OF RAMAT-GAN, ISRAEL
WHEREAS, the City of Huntington Beach, California("Huntington Beach") and the City
of Ramat-Gan, Israel ("Ramat-Gan") desire to enhance mutual understanding,goodwill and
further cooperation to increase opportunities and to promote exchanges in all areas, so as to
elevate the welfare and prosperity of both cities;and
Mayor Cannel Shama-Hacohen of Ramat-Gan and Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark of
Huntington Beach desire to promote this cooperative effort in order to consolidate the friendship,
increase the opportunities of friendly exchanges on the basis of equality and reciprocity,
encourage the continuous economic and cultural developments, and set a milestone in the
development of economy, trade, society, and culture between the.peoples of both Ramat-Gan and
Huntington Beach; and
The nonprofit Israel Global Foundation(IGF)has agreed to assume the responsibility of
' acting as liaison between the Huntington Beach and Ramat-Gan; and
Each city will make joint efforts to achieve the following goals:
Enhancing the friendship and implementing educational, cultural exchanges and
collaborations;
Promoting trade and economic relations; creating a win-win partnership;
Developing high-quality environments for investment,and inviting manufacturers of both
sides to undertake more investments;
Encouraging visits to the other city, engaging in youth exchanges and learning municipal
administration from each other;
NOW,THEREFORE,the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach does hereby
resolve as follows:
1. The foregoing recitals are hereby approved and adopted.
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-55
2. The City of Huntington Beach may provide the use of meeting space at City
facilities for holding meetings in which to conduct routine business of IGF, and for the purpose
of supporting special activities and education events.
3. The City of Huntington Beach may provide staff support in accommodating
special activities and events related to this Twin City Partnership,including one entry into the
Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade.
4. The City of Huntington Beach will present a certificate each October as part of its
annual reaffirmation of this Twin City Partnership with Ramat-Gan.
5. IGF shall provide its services as an organization accepting public and private
donations intended for use in furthering of cultural exchanges between Huntington Beach and
Ramat-Gan.
6. IGF will present programming and activities in provided Huntington Beach City
facilities to foster understanding of Ramat-Gan.
7. IGF will present programming and activities in Ramat-Gan to foster
understanding of Huntington Beach.
8. IGF will act as a liaison between Huntington Beach and Ramat-Gan, and support
goodwill exchange opportunities.
9. The City Manager is hereby authorized to implement a Twin City Partnership
relationship with the City of Ramat-Gan,Israel, within the parameters outlined in this
Resolution. This Twin City Partnership shall become effective upon adoption of a similar
authorizing Resolution or other similar action by Ramat-Gan, and shall remain in effect for a
period of 3 years, or until such action is repealed by either city.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach at a
regular meeting thereof held on October 15 , 2024
. •
Mayor
ATTEST ~,
944,114)4tcd
City Clerk
2
24-15400/357360
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-55
REVIEWED AO AP ROVED: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Manager v,- City Attorney �rv"
3
24-15400/357360
Res. No. 2024-55
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss:
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH )
I, ROBIN ESTANISLAU, the duly elected, qualified City Clerk of the
City of Huntington Beach, and ex-officio Clerk of the City Council of said City, do
hereby certify that the whole number of members of the City Council of the City of
Huntington Beach is seven; that the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted
by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of all the members of said City Council
at a.Regular meeting thereof held on October 15, 2024 by the following vote:
AYES: Bolton, Burns, Van Der Mark, Strickland, McKeon
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: Moser, Kalmick •
City Clerk and ex-officio Clerk of the
City Council of the City of
Huntington Beach, California
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�I'' /,/ Meeting Date:
Agenda Item No. 10 (24-740)
Background
On September 17, 2024, the City Council approved a Council Member
Item brought forward by Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark and Council
Member Tony Strickland directing the City Manager's Office to
implement steps to establish a Memorandum of Understanding as
Sister Cities with Ramat Gan, Israel.
• Establishment of Committee — Three City Council Members and one
City staff (Mayor Van Der Mark, Mayor Pro Tem Burns, Council
Member Strickland, Jennifer Carey — Acting Deputy City Manager) l� \\��'TINGT74 i
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Ramat Israel
• Population of approximately 200,000 (similar to Huntington Beach)
• Located in Tel Aviv District, known as a Coastal District
• Established in 1914, founded in 1921
• Home to Israel's largest hospital & world's largest diamond
exchange
• Both Ramat Gan & Huntington Beach have a history of agriculture
• Both Ramat Gan & Huntington Beach are home to Chabad Centers
• Ramat Gan passed Huntington Beach Twin City Resolution
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• California Nonprofit Corporation
• Founded in July 2023
• Mission: Secure the existence of Israel by strengthening the
relationship between the world & Israel through innovative education,
advocacy, delegation & coalition building.
• Hosted numerous advocacy & education events, such as:
• "Stand with Israel — Commemorating October 7"
• "Stand with Israel — Testimony from Holocaust & October 7
Witnesses" (In partnershipwith Orange CountyIsrael , ���NT�NGro�
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• "Teaching Tolerance at a Young Age — Joseph Alexander" k - _:-
• Exposing Antisemitism & Terrorism" ;,�Fe ao_•:•.o� O
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Recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 2024-55, "A Resolution of the City Council of the
City of Huntington Beach, California Authorizing a Twin City Partnership
with the City of Ramat-Gan, Israel."
• Partnership with Ramat Gan, Israel, with Israel Global Foundation
(IGF) acting as non-profit liaison.
• Similar to a Sister City Association, IGF to oversee fundraising
efforts to fund advocacy/education programming in Huntington ,,
Beach & Ramat Gan. O'1��N1�NGr ��[
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• City to provide meeting & facility space for education ��
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Carmel Shama HaCohen '�' tn» awn' 7ni3
Mayor of Ramat - Gan ikezo
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October 13,2024
To
Mrs. Gracey Van Der Markthe
Mayor of Huntington Beach
California U.S.A
Dear Gracey,
I hope this message finds you well.
I am excited to officially express our enthusiasm about the recent approval by both our
city councils to establish a twin-city relationship between Ramat Gan and Huntington
Beach.
During our recent discussions, the proposal to formalize connections between our cities
and sign a sister-city agreement was introduced. I truly believe these ties will create a
wonderful opportunity for collaboration across various fields, such as culture, education,
and the economy.
This partnership presents a unique chance to exchange ideas, foster joint projects, and
strengthen the bonds between our residents. It is essential to emphasize that clear and
open communication between us will be key to laying a strong foundation for the success
of future initiatives.
I look forward to hearing from you and to formally signing the agreement soon.
Sincerely
Car el ma Ha-Cohen SUPPLEMENTAL
Mayo Ra t-Gan COMMUNICATION
Meeting Date: 10/15/2024
Agenda Item No.
10 (24-740)
03-6753222 .079 i 03-6753511 .7U i 5246103 )a-11A1 35 71`7N'3
yn, Ramat-Gan Municipality 35 Bialik St, Ramat Gan Israel 1 Tel.972-3-6753510/1 I Fax.972-3-6753222
,,,,,r,,140,,,aMfog www.ramat-gan.muni.il )]-run n"1'u:71]0"' 109 T71f ifllleer
Mr. Amory Hanson
8102 Ellis Avenue
Apartment 121
Huntington Beach CA 92646 '
October 15, 2024
The Mayoress of Huntington Beach
2000 Main Street
Huntington Beach CA 92648
My Dear Madam Mayoress,
I would like to express my support for Item X.
Sincerely Yours,
Mr.Amory Hanson
CC:The Honorable Patrick Burns
CC:The Honorable Rhonda Bolton
CC:The Honorable Daniel Kalmick
CC:The Honorable Casey McKeon
CC:The Honorable Natalie Moser
CC: The Honorable Anthony Strickland
SUPPLEMENTAL
COMMUNICATION
Meeting Date: 10/15/2024
Agenda;ltem No. 10 (24-740)
From: Levin.Shannon
To: suoolementalcommCaisurfcity-hb.orq
Subject: Fw:Directed to City Council members of HB
Date: Friday,October 11,2024 11:59:59 AM
Get Outlook for iOS
From:Andrew Einhorn <andreweinhornpt@icloud.com>
Sent: Friday, October 11, 2024 9:33:27 AM
To:CITY COUNCIL(INCL. CMO STAFF) <city.council@surfcity-hb.org>
Subject: Directed to City Council members of HB
Some peopl who rec ived this me sa e don t c ftenf e email from andre reinhompt i oud conk Learn by is
is important
As council majority members and public servants,
your responsibility is to make decisions that
genuinely benefit the residents of Huntington
Beach. The airshow settlement agreement you
endorsed is far from reasonable—it's a disgrace to
our community. This matter demands a full
investigation, and if wrongdoing is found, I expect
you to be held accountable.
So you're now trying to establish a relationship
with the City of Ramat-Gan, Israel. Do you
seriously believe your job' involves reciting talking
points from Face the Nation? You have shown
time and again that you are incapable of effectively
running our city. This is yet another issue that
holds no value for the people of Huntington Beach.
Stop the non-sense and run this town!
Andrew Einhorn
Huntington Beach
From: Michele Burgess
To: suooIementalcomm@surfcity-hb.orq;citvcouncil@surfcity-hb,orq
Subject: OCTOBER 15,2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING,AGENDA ITEM#10,FILE#24-740
Date: Monday,October 14,2024 4:47:41 PM
To the City Council:
To put it bluntly, what the heck is going on? An item appeared on the
September 17 agenda to establish a Sister City relationship between
Huntington Beach and Ramat-Gan, Israel. Now there's an item on the
consent calendar to adopt a resolution authorizing a Twin City partnership
with Ramat-Gan, and the nonprofit Israel Global Foundation (IGF)
assuming responsibility for acting as a liaison between the two entities.
This process has completely bypassed regular channels. Why the rush?
At the September 17 City Council meeting, public speaker Maureen
Anzvino, vice president of the Huntington Beach Sister City Association,
noted that the Sister City program is a citizen-to-citizen commitment to
each other, not a political relationship. She described the years of vetting
required to confirm suitability, similar expectations and goals. She noted
the City does not provide funding for the Association; therefore funding
constraints must also be considered before approving a new Sister City.
So many questions!!!
How did this come about in the first place? Did Mayor Van Der Mark meet
Yan Killy (CEO of IGF) somewhere, perhaps at the ICAA 3rd Indo-American
Christian Leadership & Religious Freedom Event on September 7 where
they were both guests of honor? Did Mr. Killy mention his nonprofit
foundation and propose collaborating? At the September 17 City Council
meeting, Tony Strickland said he looked up the Israeli Global Foundation
website on the internet (three times he said Israeli when the actual name
is Israel) and his expectation was that IGF could provide management, but
that the issue would certainly be discussed and determined through proper
protocol. The motion was amended to include formation of an Ad Hoc
Committee and to follow protocol in developing a Sister City relationship.
It carried with 4 ayes and 3 abstentions.
The Ad Hoc Committee consisted of Van Der Mark, Strickland, Burns, and
Deputy City Manager Jennifer Carey. They submitted a Memorandum of
Understanding with no proof of work or other background on how they
arrived at the content of the MOU. It appears no attempt was made to
follow proper protocol, and that the relationship name was changed to
reflect that — changing Sister City to Twin City and forging ahead with the
initial plan under a different name, with an unvetted middle man.
SUPPLEMENTAL
So let's address that point. -COMMUNICATION
Meeting Date: 10/15/2024
10 (24-740)
Agenda .Item .No.
What is the Israel Global Foundation? A records search shows IGF was
registered by Yan Killy with the California Secretary State as a nonprofit
corporation just five months ago, on May 21, 2024. According to the
Articles of Incorporation, its purpose is to "foster and promote the
development and protection of Israel as a Jewish state, and to combat and
eliminate global antisemitism and anti-Zionism." Mr. Killy's candidate
statement on the Villa Park city website says he "recently started a new
nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization," though a tax-exempt organization
search with the IRS doesn't return any results; perhaps his application is
pending or he hasn't filed yet. There are three officers and the business
address is his home in Villa Park.
Yan Killy is Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Killy is a Senior Technical
Marketing Engineer at Dassault Systems in Irvine. Currently a candidate
for Villa Park City Council, he represented as non-partisan to the OC
Register, but has been endorsed by the Lincoln Club of Orange County and
the Republican Party of Orange County. His personal Facebook page is
highly partisan and critical of President Biden and Democrats. Also per the
OC Register, Mr. Killy faced weapon charges in Irvine in 2009 ("Man who
hid in bushes and fired gun faces weapon charges"; the results of his
mental health evaluation and resolution of the case are unknown.
Erica Tabibi, Chief Financial Officer, is cofounder, with her husband Dekel,
of DT Custom Homes in Corona del Mar.
Thor Johnson is Secretary. He's a self-described entrepreneur who loves to
travel and surf, a two-time failed candidate for the San Clemente City
Council, and has a California nonprofit (Together as One Philanthropic
Society, registered in 2014) to take autistic children to Knott's Berry Farm
and surf camps. The nonprofit was suspended by the Secretary of State
and Franchise Tax Board in 2019 for failure to file, reactivated in 2022,
though there's no record of any philanthropic activity since 2023. It is not
registered as a 501(c)3 nonprofit with the IRS.
Since it's too early for IGF to have filed any financial information, we have
no idea how donations are used, if the officers receive any salary, or what
actual expenses might be.
The IGF website itself is opaque. The ICANN domain name lookup for
www.igf.ngo shows most information "redacted for privacy." All mailing
addresses are in Reykjavik, Iceland. Likewise, the email address is a very
long series of letters and numbers.protect@withheldforprivacy.com. The
registrar information is NAMECHEAP INC.
The website's home page has a blog with only one item in it, an article
about Israel blowing up Hezbollah's beepers in Lebanon. Then we have
IGF's Documentation Project on Antisemitism and Radicalism, which
contains seven stories. All four listed events have already taken place: two
were with Holocaust and October 7 massacre survivors, one was from the
front lines inside Gaza. The most recent, on September 11, was "Exposing
Antisemitism & Terrorism" — "Meet leaders of Orange County who dealt
with antisemitism and terrorism." Speakers were Bijan R. Kian, Senior
Executive in International Security; Steve Knoblock, San Clemente City
Councilman; Mike Munzing, Mayor of Aliso Viejo; and our own Mayor
Gracey Van Der Mark. What? When did she deal with anti-Semitism and
terrorism?
Clicking on "Get Involved" takes you to a donation form, where you can
choose between donating once or monthly. Click on "one time," the
payment page has a tiny "auto-renew until canceled" notice and the total
shows the amount charged monthly until canceled. The second time I tried
it, it changed the $10 to $50 on the payment page. However, there is
absolutely no contact information anywhere on the website. No name, no
email address, no phone number, nothing. So how could you possibly
cancel this unwanted monthly charge to your credit card?
More questions:
Why Ramat-Gan? Who approached whom? Did Mayor HaCohen approach
Mr. Killy or vice versa? Did Gracey or Tony reach out to Mayor HaCohen?
Ramat-Gan currently has Sister City relationships with 14 cities worldwide,
including Phoenix in the US. Why would we need them and why would
they need us? Has Yan Killy visited Ramat-Gan? If so, how many times?
Has he met Mayor HaCohen or spoken to him on the phone?
Do you know that Ramat-Gan is rated second highest among 85 cities and
municipal authorities in Israel for being the most gay-friendly? Does Mayor
HaCohen know that the Huntington Beach City Council majority has
banned the Pride flag, is controlling LGBTQ+ books in our public library,
and we now have an ordinance to force city employees to out children
suspected of being gay to their parents? Does Mayor HaCohen know
Huntington Beach has a long history of anti-Semitic and white supremacy
hate groups? Or that the Jewish Anti-Defamation League called out Mayor
Gracey for her anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial remarks? What about her
association with the Proud Boys? There's photographic evidence of her
harassing Jews with Proud Boy Johnny Benitez and Charlottesville white
supremacist August Invictus. Does Mayor HaCohen know the majority four
gutted the city's Human Dignity Statement, including removing anti-
Semitism as a protection, or that a local rabbi was shouted down and now
only Christian prayer is used at City Council meetings?
And now to the details of Resolution No. 2024-55, authorizing a Twin City
Partnership with the city of Ramat-Gan, Israel.
•
You've listed some pretty lofty goals, probably unachievable due to Ramat-
Gan's size compared to ours. Their population is a bit similar, but that's
pretty much it. Ramat-Gan has many skyscrapers (we have one six-story
building at Warner and Beach Blvd.), it's an important manufacturing and
industrial center with a huge Diamond Exchange District, and they have
the country's largest sports stadium, largest hospital, second largest
university, many foreign embassies, a zoo/safari park with 1,600 animals,
and several museums. They are not like us.
As for the Israel Global Foundation acting as an intermediary, Mr. Killy
runs his nonprofit out of his house and, as far as I can tell, has no board of
directors, no staff, no team. So why do we need to provide use of meeting
space at City facilities for holding meetings in which to conduct the routine
business of IGF or to support special activities and education events? Why
would we provide staff support? Considering how iffy the donor button on
their website it, why would we want to be involved in their accepting public
and private donations in any way connected to us? Why does this
authorizing resolution remain in effect for 3 years? Frankly, it should be
repealed before it's even passed.
The Huntington Beach City Council (particularly the majority four) should
stop wasting time and staff support on matters pertaining to other states
and countries, and concentrate on keeping our city in good condition,
particularly with regard to the upcoming budget deficit. Stop wasting
money on stupid stuff. Pay attention to city business. And don't even think
about using taxpayer funds for a fact-finding jaunt to Israel for your little
group of four (or five if you include the city attorney).
Michele Burgess
Huntington Beach resident since 1961
From: Fikes,Cathy
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FIN:OCTOBER 15,2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING,AGENDA ITEM#10,FILE#24-740
Date: Monday,October 14,2024 5:51:08 PM
From: Michele Burgess<micheleaburgess@yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2024 4:57 PM
To:CITY COUNCIL(INCL. CMO STAFF) <city.council@surfcity-hb.org>
Subject: OCTOBER 15, 2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #10, FILE#24-740
To the City Council:
To put it bluntly, what the heck is going on? An item appeared on the September 17
agenda to establish a Sister City relationship between Huntington Beach and Ramat-
Gan, Israel. Now there's an item on the consent calendar to adopt a resolution
authorizing a Twin City partnership with Ramat-Gan, and the nonprofit Israel Global
Foundation (IGF) assuming responsibility for acting as a liaison between the two
entities. This process has completely bypassed regular channels. Why the rush?
At the September 17 City Council meeting, public speaker Maureen Anzvino, vice
president of the Huntington Beach Sister City Association, noted that the Sister City
program is a citizen-to-citizen commitment to each other, not a political relationship.
She described the years of vetting required to confirm suitability, similar expectations
and goals. She noted the City does not provide funding for the Association; therefore
funding constraints must also be considered before approving a new Sister City.
So many questions!!!
How did this come about in the first place? Did Mayor Van Der Mark meet Yan Killy
(CEO of IGF) somewhere, perhaps at the ICAA 3rd Indo-American Christian
Leadership & Religious Freedom Event on September 7 where they were both guests
of honor? Did Mr. Killy mention his nonprofit foundation and propose collaborating? At
the September 17 City Council meeting, Tony Strickland said he looked up the Israeli
Global Foundation website on the internet (three times he said Israeli when the actual
name is Israel) and his expectation was that IGF could provide management, but that
the issue would certainly be discussed and determined through proper protocol. The
motion was amended to include formation of an Ad Hoc Committee and to follow
protocol in developing a Sister City relationship. It carried with 4 ayes and 3
abstentions.
The Ad Hoc Committee consisted of Van Der Mark, Strickland, Burns, and Deputy
City Manager Jennifer Carey. They submitted a Memorandum of Understanding with
no proof of work or other background on how they arrived at the content of the MOU.
It appears no attempt was made to follow proper protocol, and that the relationship
name was changed to reflect that— changing Sister City to Twin City and forging
ahead with the initial plan under a different name, with an unvetted middle man.
So let's address that point.
What is the Israel Global Foundation? A records search shows IGF was registered by
Yan Killy with the California Secretary State as a nonprofit corporation just five
months ago, on May 21, 2024. According to the Articles of Incorporation, its purpose
is to "foster and promote the development and protection of Israel as a Jewish state,
and to combat and eliminate global antisemitism and anti-Zionism." Mr. Killy's
candidate statement on the Villa Park city website says he "recently started a new
nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization," though a tax-exempt organization search with the
IRS doesn't return any results; perhaps his application is pending or he hasn't filed
yet. There are three officers and the business address is his home in Villa Park.
Yan Killy is Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Killy is a Senior Technical Marketing Engineer
at Dassault Systems in Irvine. Currently a candidate for Villa Park City Council; he
represented as non-partisan to the OC Register, but has been endorsed by the
Lincoln Club of Orange County and the Republican Party of Orange County. His
personal Facebook page is highly partisan and critical of President Biden and
Democrats. Also per the OC Register, Mr. Killy faced weapon charges in Irvine in
2009 ("Man who hid in bushes and fired gun faces weapon charges"; the results of his
mental health evaluation and resolution of the case are unknown.
Erica Tabibi, Chief Financial Officer, is cofounder, with her husband Dekel, of DT
Custom Homes in Corona del Mar.
Thor Johnson is Secretary. He's a self-described entrepreneur who loves to travel
and surf, a two-time failed candidate for the San Clemente City Council, and has a
California nonprofit (Together as One Philanthropic Society, registered in 2014) to
take autistic children to Knott's Berry Farm and surf camps. The nonprofit was
suspended by the Secretary of State and Franchise Tax Board in 2019 for failure to
file, reactivated in 2022, though there's no record of any philanthropic activity since
2023. It is not registered as a 501(c)3 nonprofit with the IRS.
Since it's too early for IGF to have filed any financial information, we have no idea
how donations are used, if the officers receive any salary, or what actual expenses
might be.
The IGF website itself is opaque. The ICANN domain name lookup for www,igf.ngo
shows most information "redacted for privacy." All mailing addresses are in Reykjavik,
Iceland. Likewise, the email address is a very long series of letters and
numbers.protect(p.withheldforprivacy.com. The registrar information is NAMECHEAP
INC.
The website's home page has a blog with only one item in it, an article about Israel
blowing up Hezbollah's beepers in Lebanon. Then we have IGF's Documentation
Project on Antisemitism and Radicalism, which contains seven stories. All four listed
events have already taken place: two were with Holocaust and October 7 massacre
survivors, one was from the front lines inside Gaza. The most recent, on September
11, was "Exposing Antisemitism & Terrorism" — "Meet leaders of Orange County who
dealt with antisemitism and terrorism." Speakers were Bijan R. Kian, Senior Executive
in International Security; Steve Knoblock, San Clemente City Councilman; Mike
Munzing, Mayor of Aliso Viejo; and our own Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark. What?
When did she deal with anti-Semitism and terrorism?
Clicking on "Get Involved" takes you to a donation form, where you can choose
between donating once or monthly. Click on "one time," the payment page has a tiny
"auto-renew until canceled" notice and the total shows the amount charged monthly
until canceled. The second time I tried it, it changed the $10 to $50 on the payment
page. However, there is absolutely no contact information anywhere on the website.
No name, no email address, no phone number, nothing. So how could you possibly
cancel this unwanted monthly charge to your credit card?
More questions:
Why Ramat-Gan? Who approached whom? Did Mayor HaCohen approach Mr. Killy
or vice versa? Did Gracey or Tony reach out to Mayor HaCohen? Ramat-Gan
currently has Sister City relationships with 14 cities worldwide, including Phoenix in
the US. Why would we need them and why would they need us? Has Yan Killy visited
Ramat-Gan? If so, how many times? Has he met Mayor HaCohen or spoken to him
on the phone?
Do you know that Ramat-Gan is rated second highest among 85 cities and municipal
authorities in Israel for being the most gay-friendly? Does Mayor HaCohen know that
the Huntington Beach City Council majority has banned the Pride flag, is controlling
LGBTQ+ books in our public library, and we now have an ordinance to force city
employees to out children suspected of being gay to their parents? Does Mayor
HaCohen know Huntington Beach has a long history of anti-Semitic and white
supremacy hate groups? Or that the Jewish Anti-Defamation League called out
Mayor Gracey for her anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial remarks? What about her
association with the Proud Boys? There's photographic evidence of her harassing
Jews with Proud Boy Johnny Benitez and Charlottesville white supremacist August
Invictus. Does Mayor HaCohen know the majority four gutted the city's Human Dignity
Statement, including removing anti-Semitism as a protection, or that a local rabbi was
shouted down and now only Christian prayer is used at City Council meetings?
And now to the details of Resolution No. 2024-55, authorizing a Twin City Partnership
with the city of Ramat-Gan, Israel.
You've listed some pretty lofty goals, probably unachievable due to Ramat-Gan's size
compared to ours. Their population is a bit similar, but that's pretty much it. Ramat-
Gan has many skyscrapers (we have one six-story building at Warner and Beach
Blvd.), it's an important manufacturing and industrial center with a huge Diamond
Exchange District, and they have the country's largest sports stadium, largest
hospital, second largest university, many foreign embassies, a zoo/safari park with
1,600 animals, and several museums. They are not like us.
As for the Israel Global Foundation acting as an intermediary, Mr. Killy runs his
nonprofit out of his house and, as far as I can tell, has no board of directors, no staff,
no team. So why do we need to provide use of meeting space at City facilities for
holding meetings in which to conduct the routine business of IGF or to support special
activities and education events? Why would we provide staff support? Considering
how iffy the donor button on their website it, why would we want to be involved in their
accepting public and private donations in any way connected to us? Why does this
authorizing resolution remain in effect for 3 years? Frankly, it should be repealed
before it's even passed.
The Huntington Beach City Council (particularly the majority four) should stop wasting
time and staff support on matters pertaining to other states and countries, and
concentrate on keeping our city in good condition, particularly with regard to the
upcoming budget deficit. Stop wasting money on stupid stuff. Pay attention to city
business. And don't even think about using taxpayer funds for a fact-finding jaunt to
Israel for your little group of four (or five if you include the city attorney).
Michele Burgess
Huntington Beach resident since 1961
From: Harry McLachlan
To: suoolementalcommCalsurfcity-hb.orq;CITY COUNCIL(INCL.CM0 STAFF)
Subject: Agenda Items#10(24-752)and#19(24-750)
Date: Monday,October 14,2024 10:25:06 PM
Attachments: Clouds Over Huntington Beach.docc
Please see attached.
Huntington Beach City Council Meeting Oct. 15, 2024
Submitted by Harry McLachlan, Huntington Beach Resident
RE: Agenda Item #10 24-752 (Twin Cities) (Vote No)
Agenda Item #19 24-750 (Symphony of Flowers) (Vote No)
Clouds Over Huntington Beach
Like the Karmic Clouds that kept the Air Show from view,
The MAGA 5 now seek to do the same thing to you.
Regarding their clandestine hidden corruption:
They hope to avoid an investigation eruption!
Along with their Israel "Twin Cities" ploy
They pray an "Electronic Light Show" will bring us all joy.
At the same time these unscrupulous 5 MAGA turds
Don't give an owl's HOOT about the fate of the birds.
But up north an audit of their skullduggery is brewing,
The results of which will have them all stewing
And fretting that late at night knock on the door:
The DOJ's coming, and you'll swagger no more!
Your embarrassing Clown Show continues. Your self-serving "press
conference" was an embarrassment. You gift co-grifter Kevin Elliot another
$2 Million. Mayor Gracie joins the rest of the MAGA cultists at Coachella.
Sincerely hope you had a nice walk to your car after your orange Pig-God
stiffed all the attendees on the return transportation.
h a'
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Switzer, Donna
From: Esquivel,Juan
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 12:04 PM
To: Moore, Tania; Switzer, Donna
Subject: FW: In Support Of Item 10
This was sent to me and Robin at 11:38 a.m.
Juan Esquivel, MPA, CMC
Assistant City Clerk
City of Huntington Beach
/' "l 2000 Main Street
ti.` Huntington Beach, CA 92648
set-
(714) 374-5390
juan.esquivel ac surfcity-hb.orq
From: chris macdonald <justlisted@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, October 15, 2024 11:38 AM
To: Estanislau, Robin<Robin.Estanislau@surfcity-hb.org>; Esquivel,Juan<juan.esquivel@surfcity-hb.org>
Cc:Van Der Mark, Gracey<Gracey.VanDerMark@surfcity-hb.org>
Subject: In Support Of Item 10
Hello Robin and Juan,
I'm in Support of Item 10 in making Israel a twin Sister City on the Council Agenda.
This makes sense.
From,
Chris MacDonald, Huntington Beach Resident
Virus-free.www.avast.com
1
Moore, Tania
From: Deb Harvey <drharvey714@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 9:08 AM
To: supplementalcomm@surfcity-hb.org
Subject: Fw:Agenda Items 10 and 19
You don't often get email from drharvey714@yahoo.com. Learn why this is important
Subject: Concerns Regarding Agenda Items #10 and #19
Dear Huntington Beach City Council,
I am writing to express my concerns regarding two upcoming agenda items, and I hope my
perspective as a tax-paying property owner for over 20 years will be considered.
'Item #10: Adopt Resolution No. 2024-55 Authorizing a Twin City Partnership with the City of Ramat
Gan, Israel**
I believe this resolution is inappropriate as it circumvents the well-established Huntington Beach
Sister City Association, which has been serving our community since 1982. The proposal involving
the Israel Global Foundation (IGF) is concerning due to several issues:
- The IGF has little to no online presence, including no active social media profiles, which raises
transparency concerns.
- It was only incorporated in March 2024 and has not been rated by Charity Navigator, making it
difficult to assess its credibility.
- The IGF provides no information about its board of directors or leadership team, which further limits
transparency and accountability to the citizens of Huntington Beach.
- Has Homeland Security been made aware of this proposed relationship???
I strongly believe that any such partnerships should be made through transparent and well-
established organizations to ensure the public's trust and safeguard the city's reputation.
**Item #19: Symphony of Flowers Event Debut in Huntington Beach**
I also oppose the proposed venue for the Symphony of Flowers event at Central Park. As one of
Orange County's largest parks, Central Park is home to countless species of plants and animals and
serves as a vital green space for thousands of weekly visitors, including patrons of the park, library,
and sports complex.
While I appreciate the opportunity to bring a world-class event to Huntington Beach, this should not
come at the expense of our park's ecosystem or the tax-paying citizens who enjoy this space. Central
Park is not an appropriate venue for such an event, given its potential environmental impact. Instead,
I suggest exploring alternative venues, such as:
- The Sports Complex parking lot
- A beach parking lot
- The OC Fairgrounds
i
A quick Google search of the prior venue in Quebec shows that it was held in a vacant lot (1701a Rue
Yves-Blais), not in a flourishing park like Central Park. We should follow suit in protecting our natural
spaces.
Thank you for considering my concerns, and I appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on
these important matters.
Sincerely,
Deborah R Harvey
Huntington Beach Resident and Property Owner
2
Ramat Gan's City Council Approval for Twin City with Huntington Beach
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Ramat Gan's City Council Approval for Twin City with Huntington Beach
Moore, Tania
From: berreprincess@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 10:00 AM
To: supplementalcomm@surfcity-hb.org
Subject: ENOUGH ALREADY!
First, why on earth does anyone on this council think bringing forward an idea like Symphony of the
Flowers into Central Park would be a good idea with all the wildlife, tress and plants that would be
effected by this? Its not the place for such a thing to be done in the first place but then the length of
time is insane. So yet again those that claim they are concerned for our environment really show they
are not with stuff that would destroy an area of the park and harm the wildlife in that area. This is a
big huge vote no.
Second, this sister, now twin cities bit is a joke. Not a single person involved in this is Israeli first off
but secondly it has nothing to do with the city mentioned in Israel. The group wasn't started until
earlier this year. What kind of scam is this that the fascist 5 have going with this? Does the mayor
of Ramat-Gan know anything about what you fascist are doing here? It seems he is left out of all this and
anyone from Ramat-Gan or that is Israeli even. Another thing that should be voted no on.
Last, no the air show settlement is NOT forgotten about and the sham presser held about Amplify settling
was just that...a giant sham. So many lies told as the air show settlement had it clearly stated if money
was to come from any lawsuit with Amplify that Code 4/Elliott would get about $2mil of whatever the city
was to get. Toss in that Gates claims to be still working with the outside counsel on the cost. Why is that?
The cost of hiring outside counsel should have been settled in the beginning not after. That makes no
sense at all. The way this was done was disgusting. The behaviors from you fascist 5 is horrible. Keeping
things from the 3 others on council until the last minute shows you 5 are the problems. Enough whining
from you 5. If you can't handle listening to the residents call you fascist on your corruption and lies than
you should just resign. Otherwise suck it up as its part of the job to listen to ALL residents that you are
suppose to represent...not just your echo chamber of maga cult following buddies. I'm glad the minority 3
councilmembers were there to call out the lies and corruption. Enough is enough!
Anna
i
Switzer, Donna
From: Fikes, Cathy
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2024 4:31 PM
To: Agenda Alerts
Subject: FW: 10/15 AGENDA
From:d. wada<denisewada714@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, October 15, 2024 4:07 PM
To: CITY COUNCIL(INCL. CMO STAFF) <city.council@surfcity-hb.org>
Subject: 10/15 AGENDA
24-740 Adopt Resolution No. 2024-55 Authorizing a Twin City Partnership with the City of Ramat
Gan, Israel
I strongly opposed the idea of entering into a sister city agreement with the City of Rama Gan, Israel just
on the face of what is happening in the Middle East politics, but especially after our Palestinian citizens
in HB requested compassion. Not only is this political stunt unnecessary but unsympathetic for the
massive loss of life and suffering taking place. This resolution is for a "twin city partnership" and for the
same reasons plus the undefined explanation of what a "twin city" is, I oppose this item. It feels as
though this is being done for the benefit of certain people on the council and not for the residents of HB.
24-750 Item Submitted by Council Member Strickland and Mayor Van Der Mark - Symphony of
Flowers Event Debut in Huntington Beach
I am very skeptical of hosting this large scale event at our Central Park and that care will be taken to
preserve our wildlife and grounds. I suggest they look for a more practical space like the beach
parking lots. For wanting to keep HB a small beach town the council majority is sure turning it into a
circus. On that note, the downtown area could sure use some sprucing up and maybe attract better
businesses instead, even HB residents don't like coming to downtown.
Lastly, I was at the Monday Press release and it is just this cliquish representation that is dividing the
citizens. If the four majority were governing equitably, there would have been seven council members
at the start of the conference. I feel that seven of the same suit without opposing viewpoints will not
result in tolerance or even consideration of other viewpoints.
Denise Wada
26 year resident
i