February 2, 2021
California State Senator Anthony Portantino, in an interview with Asbarez Editor Ara Khachatourian on Tuesday said, California should begin the process of divesting from Turkey.
The remark was in response to a question regarding legislation passed by both houses of the California legislature and signed by the governor, calling on the state to divest from Turkey.
Portantino, who has visited Artsakh on several occasions, also said that the State of California must continuously reaffirm Artsakh’s right to self-determination, since the state was one of the first to recognize Artsakh independence.
The senator also discussed several measures to assist California residents as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage the state. He discussed renter and landlord relief efforts, opportunities for small business loan. Portantino emphasized the need for comprehensive mental health education in the schools, highlighting the toll the pandemic has taken on especially younger
California progressives issue Zionism ‘litmus test,’ pro-Israel delegates say
Is a California progressive political organization trying to weed out Zionists seeking leadership roles? It depends on whom you ask.
In December, the Progressive Delegates Network, a statewide organization that promotes progressive candidates to the state Democratic Party’s Assembly District Election Meetings (ADEMs), distributed a questionnaire to potential candidates that asks them, among other things, to pledge to disavow any restrictions on the “boycott, divestment, and/or sanction of countries that engage in routine human rights violations.”
The questionnaires are used to determine caucus candidates for ADEM assemblies, where California Democratic Party officials are chosen, the party platform is shaped and other decisions are made.