On Monday, January 22, 2024, the Burlington city council voted on a pro-Palestine resolution ballot that would have declared Burlington an “apartheid-free community.” During this gathering, a pro-Israel speaker went viral for her Freudian slip admitting to the Gaza genocide.
Pro-Israel supporter admits Gaza Genocide
The Town Meeting TV posted the complete Burlington City Council on its YouTube as the councilors gathered to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict. Many people made notable points while discussing the issues among them was Josephine Leit.
this is an insane freudian slip pic.twitter.com/xeI8K6m3jE
— Hurt CoPain (@SaeedDiCaprio) January 24, 2024
The first-year student at the University of Vermont joined the public forum segment of the meeting as a pro-Israel speaker. She made various points in defense of the Israeli people while expressing her sympathies for Palestinians.
At the end of her two-minute speech, she said that she would like to use the remaining time to express how appalled she is that people are using the Holocaust as an example while discussing the Israel-Hamas War.
“Do not use other genocide to describe this one,” She further stated and the community soon erupted in laughter over her slip of the tongue. Realizing her mistake Leit let out a small exclamation and hid her mouth behind the notes before continuing her statement.
Freudian Slips while discussing Israel-Palestine conflict
The clips of Leit are currently going viral on social media platforms including X (former Twitter) as people join to discuss the slip that led to an unintended confirmation of the Gaza Genocide.
https://twitter.com/mizphantasm/status/1750164952625586528?t=gtvigyTkyjsCtFVujzL8Qw&s=19
Underneath the video, many are sharing other similar incidents where people supporting Israel accidentally admitted wrongdoings through Freudian slips. One of the videos is from a CNN News broadcast where an Israeli representative states “We are not targeting anyone but civilians,” instead of saying “terrorists.”
Another clip shows Israel’s ambassador for Australia, Amir Maimon accidentally claiming “We are not the victims,” as opposed to stating that they are the victims while emphasizing the representation of Israel in the ongoing war.
Another freudian slip
Ambassador of Israel to Australia.
" WE ARE NOT VICTIMS! That is, excuse me, we are victims, not aggressors. Sorry." pic.twitter.com/mzvNReNEyY
— Stop the Genocide in Gaza Marwa AlGamal (@MarwaEl94317678) January 24, 2024
These frequent slips from the representatives and supporters of Israel have further strengthened the opinions of people standing in solidarity with Palestinians and condemning of ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Burlington City Council votes against pro-Palestinian ballot
Despite the favoring opinion with close to 1,700 registered voters signing a petition to declare Burlington an “apartheid-free community” that supports ending “Israel’s apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation” of Palestine, the council wasn’t persuaded.
is speaker after speaker from Apartheid Free Burlington standing up for democracy – the right to vote on resolution that opposes racism and apartheid, one which Burlington's city council refused to put on the ballot, calling it "divisive": https://t.co/3t0xq3pLSa
— katkin (@la_Luchona_) January 25, 2024
After three hours of public forum where pro-Palestian people outnumbered the pro-Israel supporters by a dozen, the councilors voted 7-5 to reject the ballot.
Six councils of Democrats and Councilor Mark Barlow (I-North District) opposed the ballot while four Progressives and Councilor Ali Dieng (I-Ward 7) voted in support.
While the Burlington City Council looks to block the Apartheid Free Burlington ballot measure claiming it’s too divisive, just remember they allowed a 9/11 truther ballot item in 2007. pic.twitter.com/W2zGj6sZT9
— Ma tt (@mamoore09) January 23, 2024
This result continues the Burlington council’s legacy after they failed to pass a measure supporting a cease-fire in Gaza and another that condemned the shooting of three Palestinian students visiting the state for Thanksgiving.
The reasoning behind these decisions remains that passing them would provoke anti-Jewish sentiments and endanger Jews.
Others said that Burlington should rather focus on local issues while many challenged it by saying that the council has taken stands on other international issues before.
