Investment policy

Thanked the five council members who voted for the ESG investment policy and pushed back on characterizations of his group.

Thanked the five council members who voted for the ESG investment policy and pushed back on colleagues who opposed it.

Supported the policy with Palestine and genocide included, contrasting grassroots support with lobby opposition.

Mennonite pastor urged divestment from cluster bomb manufacturers as a moral budget decision.

Spoke of family in northern Gaza and the cruelty of the war.

Thanked the council for resisting BDS pressure and urged a positive investment policy.

Young resident urged divestment including mass surveillance, saying silence is complicity.

18-year-old great-granddaughter of Holocaust survivors urged divestment from genocide-supporting companies.

Attorney and father argued the policy doesn't single out Israel and is legal, effective, and moral.

Spoke of her grandmother's home in Jerusalem she has never been able to visit.

All Saints parishioner urged a stricter ethical investment policy on human rights grounds.

Acknowledged the multi-faith Pasadena for Palestine Divestment Coalition member organizations.

Born-and-raised Altadena birth worker connected the issues and called the Arroyo project another facet of genocide.

Daughter of a German Jewish refugee urged passage of the stricter policy.

Past president of the Jewish Federation opposed singling out Israel as an antisemitic move.

Described civilian deaths from Israeli drone strikes and urged the council not to invest in genocide.

Granddaughter of Holocaust survivors who called BDS discriminatory and uniquely targeting of the world's only Jewish state.

Urged support for the ethical investment resolution and asked that the Fire and Police Retirement Board adopt the same policy.

Palestinian parishioner and granddaughter of Armenian genocide survivors asked the policy to name Palestine and the genocide in Gaza.

Spoke for the Pasadena for Palestine Divestment Coalition, supporting the policy and distinguishing divestment from genocide-complicit firms from boycotts of Israel itself.

Lifelong resident and Zionist who questioned why speakers did not protest executions in Iran.

Shared her personal loss of family in Gaza and asked the council to adopt an ethical investment policy protecting lives.

Invoked the 1939 investor analogy, urging divestment from war profiteers including Caterpillar.

Thanked Hampton, Gordo, Cole and Rivas for advancing the policy and urged the council to accept the human-rights consensus on Gaza.

Former president of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center who urged rejection of BDS as undermining dialogue and coexistence.

Board member of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center who opposed any policy singling out Israel, citing rising vandalism and violence against Jews.

Urged the city to stay out of foreign policy, denounce hate in all forms, and keep investments focused on financial responsibility.

Supported updating ESG language generally but urged rejection of the amendments as a narrow perspective that picks sides in international politics.

Born-and-raised Pasadenan urging the council to name Palestine and the genocide in Gaza in the policy.

Resident urging the council to refocus on local issues — housing, homelessness, safety — rather than symbolic Middle East resolutions.

Read from the Jewish Federation letter and noted its Israel trip invitations, asking the council to simply say something about Palestine.

Mennonite pastor who called budgets moral documents and urged divestment from cluster bomb manufacturers.

Spoke of family from Northern Gaza and the cruelty of the war, urging divestment.

Longtime resident who thanked the council for resisting BDS pressure and hoped for a positive investment policy focused on renewables.

Young resident urging divestment and inclusion of mass surveillance companies in the ban.

18-year-old great-granddaughter of Holocaust survivors who rejected claims that divestment is anti-Semitic and urged action.

Attorney and father who argued the policy does not single out Israel and complies with state anti-discrimination law.

Described her grandmother's home in Jerusalem which she has never been able to visit, asking the council to consider her stolen family land.

All Saints Church member supporting a stricter ethical investment policy, citing children killed in Gaza.

Acknowledged the multi-faith Pasadena for Palestine Divestment Coalition member organizations.

Born-and-raised Altadenan who connected all the night's issues and called the Arroyo Seco project 'another facet of genocide.'

Daughter of a German Jewish refugee who urged support for the stricter policy, sharing her father's transformation after visiting the West Bank.

Past president of the Jewish Federation who strongly opposed singling out Israel, calling it a political anti-Semitic move.

Supported the policy with Palestine and genocide included, contrasting grassroots local support with national lobby opposition.

District 4 native urging the council to add language acknowledging companies that facilitated war crimes in Gaza.

Fuller Seminary employee supporting the policy and recommending the Fire and Police Retirement Board adopt the same standards.

Called the two-year divestment campaign political theater designed to delegitimize Israel, not a genuine effort about Gaza.

President of the fire-destroyed Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center who supported the policy as written but strongly opposed any BDS measure, citing anti-Semitic graffiti on his synagogue's surviving wall.

Jewish Federation volunteer who lost family to Hamas; thanked the council for rejecting BDS and said the Federation is neutral on the ESG policy.

Clarified the resolution targets companies by behavior, not nations, and asked that mass surveillance be added.

Jewish Voice for Peace member thanking Rivas and Cole and urging divestment from arms manufacturers.

J Street member and synagogue board member who said BDS was created to eliminate the Jewish state and urged a no vote.

Thanked two years of activists and told the council this vote is one constituents will remember.

Pasadena resident urging the policy to address genocide and mass surveillance.

Longtime resident and J Street member who said Israel is being singled out among world tragedies and urged focus on positive engagement.

Returned to support the amendment and urge adding mass surveillance and genocide language.

Armenian genocide descendant and Mennonite Church representative urging divestment from arms, prisons, fossil fuels and surveillance.

Asked that the policy mention genocide and direct the pension board to act, saying otherwise it's purely symbolic.

Jewish Voice for Peace representative supporting the policy: 'not in our name, not with our money.'

Century-long Pasadena family who supported the policy and invoked Quaker hero Herbert Nicholson in asking for genocide language.

Called the effort racist for focusing only on Jewish people and warned it's illegal under the Unruh Act and invites litigation.

Suggested putting the question to voters instead and supported Madison's idea of waiting for the mayor.

Quaker District 1 resident supporting the policy and urging genocide language, citing Quaker organizations' statement on Gaza.

19-year-old PCC student who described campus walkouts over Lockheed Martin investments and urged the city to set a generational precedent.

Jewish Federation executive director, speaking from Sacramento, urged the council to take the legislative policy recommendation exactly as written and not single out Israel.

Clergy Community Coalition advocacy coordinator supporting the policy, comparing it to the apartheid divestment of the 1980s.

Longtime activist urging approval of the language as written, calling genocide language a backdoor to single out Israel.

Urged adoption of the ethical investment policy, citing documented targeting of hospitals and journalists.

Spoke for the Pasadena for Palestine Divestment Coalition, supporting divestment from companies involved in genocide.

Lifelong resident and Zionist asked why speakers don't protest Iran, citing executions there.

Shared personal loss in Gaza and asked the council to adopt an ethical investment policy.

Invoked 1939 investments in companies that enabled the Holocaust, urging divestment from war profiteers.

Lifelong Pasadenan urged language acknowledging companies facilitating war crimes in Gaza.

Fuller Seminary worker supported the policy and urged the FPRS board to adopt the same standard.

Called the divestment campaign political theater designed to delegitimize the Jewish state.

President of fire-damaged Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center supported the policy as written but opposed any BDS measure.

Jewish Federation volunteer who lost family to Hamas thanked the council for rejecting BDS; federation neutral on ESG.

Argued the resolution targets company behavior, not nations, and suggested adding mass surveillance.

Jewish Voice for Peace member urged divestment from arms manufacturers.

J Street member and temple board member said BDS was created to eliminate the Jewish state and urged a no vote.

Thanked activists and urged the council to remember this vote, citing family losses in Gaza.

Longtime resident and J Street member urged focus on local issues and said Israel is being singled out.

Supported the amendment and urged adding mass surveillance and genocide language.

Armenian genocide descendant urged divestment from arms, prisons, fossil fuels, and surveillance.

Asked that the policy mention genocide and direct the FPRS board, saying otherwise it's purely symbolic.

Jewish Voice for Peace member supported the policy, saying holding Israel accountable applies a universal standard.

Century-long Pasadena family urged adding genocide language, invoking George Takei's story of Quaker courage.

Argued the push is selective racism targeting only Jewish concerns and warned of UNRHA litigation costs.

Suggested putting the question to voters and supported waiting for the mayor.

Quaker District 1 resident supported the policy and urged adding genocide language.

PCC student described campus divestment walkouts and urged the city to set a generational precedent.

Jewish Federation executive director, speaking from Sacramento, urged adopting the committee recommendation exactly as written without singling out Israel.

Clergy Community Coalition advocacy coordinator supported the ethical investment policy.

Longtime activist urged approving the language as written, calling genocide language a backdoor to single out Israel.

Urged adoption of the ethical investment policy citing documented atrocities in Gaza.

Described civilian deaths from Israeli drone strikes and urged the council not to invest in genocide.

Granddaughter of Holocaust survivors opposed BDS as discriminatory and singled out against Israel.

Urged support and expansion of the ethical investment resolution, including naming genocide and mass surveillance.

Palestinian parishioner asked the policy to name Palestine and the genocide.

Thanked Hampton, Gordo, Cole, and Rivas; urged the council to align with human rights institutions' genocide findings.

Former president of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center urged rejection of BDS.

Board member of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center opposed any policy singling out Israel.

Urged the city to stay out of foreign policy and keep investments focused on financial responsibility.

Asked to turn down rhetoric and pursue land-for-peace dialogue.

Applauded ESG update but urged rejecting amendments singling out Israel.

Born-and-raised Pasadenan urged the council to name Palestine and the genocide in the policy.

Urged the council to focus on local problems rather than symbolic Middle East resolutions.

Read from the Jewish Federation letter and noted its Israel trip invitations, asking the council to say something for Palestinians.

Urged the mayor to sign an amendment naming Palestine in the ethical investment policy before the May 11 decision, calling silence morally evasive.

Urged the council to sign an amendment naming Palestine in the ethical investment policy ahead of the May 11 decision.

Speaking for Pasadena for Palestine, asked the council to mention Gaza and Palestine in the revised ethical investment criteria.

Asked the council to mention Gaza and Palestine in the revised ethical investment policy, citing Motorola-style human rights concerns and the Sde Teiman case.

Described losing over 200 family members in Gaza and urged the council to support divestment.

Reported on divestment actions by Washington state and NYC Health Hospitals, urging Pasadena to adopt an ethical investment policy.

Asked council members to lead with compassion and support the ethical investment policy at the April 13 meeting.

Asked the council to use its economic power through an ethical investment policy, invoking her family's Holocaust history.

Urged the council to divest from Israel, citing civilian casualties in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.

A pastor just back from the West Bank, urged the council to keep moving on an ethical investment policy and left olive-wood hearts for each member.

Thanked Vice Mayor Rivas for the ESG investment policy expansion and urged the fire and police retirement boards to follow.

Echoed support for the ESG policy expansion and invited the council to an interfaith event.