A group of community activists on Tuesday plan to call on the San Jose City Council to ban city-authorized travel to Israel.
Members of San Jose Against War and other activists plan to speak during Tuesday night's public comment session.
They say as the war between Israel and Hamas rages in Gaza, the council should refuse to allow formal city travel to Israel, arguing the country has committed what they believe are repeated human rights abuses.
The activists note it's not an unprecedented demand because the council has blocked city travel to other countries in the past.
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"If the council were to allow one of their members to travel to Israel, especially if it's funded by our tax dollars, which often it is, that would send a message that they are being inconsistent with which countries they are holding accountable for human rights abuses," Aysha Abraibesh said.
In 2022, the city council blocked former Mayor Sam Liccardo from traveling to Qatar due to concerns about that country’s human rights record.
The travel issue was not on Tuesday's agenda, so the city council is prevented from taking any formal action or even formally discussing it.
