Debate over Arlington County’s relationship with an agency helping Israeli companies build their operations in Virginia broke out anew last weekend.
Activists criticized past cooperation between Arlington Economic Development and the Virginia Israel Advisory Board (VIAB), a state-funded agency.
But County Board Chair Takis Karantonis noted that Arlington has business relationships with groups around the world and argued that those with concerns should look to Richmond.
“This is an issue you have to take up with … members of the General Assembly, the governor,” he said at a Saturday meeting.
This isn’t the first time activists have pressed county leaders to stand against Israel’s role in the conflict in Gaza, arguing that Arlington’s silence on civilian deaths equates to complicity.
Speaker Kishori Mahilikar noted that Israel is the only foreign country with a taxpayer-funded advisory board in Virginia.
“Our money should go toward us, not a mass extermination of two million people,” Mahilikar said.
Karantonis said the county government, through Arlington Economic Development, works with businesses and countries across the globe. Businesses from Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and Australia all are welcome, he said.
“We don’t put a political filter on that. Imagine how many possibilities we would take out of the list,” he said.
Aasim Rawoot, who has spoken on the topic at numerous Board meetings, complained that his effort to bring the situation up for discussion at a recent Economic Development Commission meeting proved fruitless, because that advisory body does not take public comments.
“You limit and prevent us from providing public input and oversight,” said Rawoot. He said county officials were putting “your heads in the sand” on the issue.
Karantonis countered there was no obligation for advisory commissions to include a public-comment period.
“Some do, others don’t,” he said.
Several Board members and County Manager Mark Schwartz took umbrage at remarks from activists painting economic-development staff as biased against their views.
Schwartz accused critics of “broad assertions about the character of people you do not know.”
“I’m always impressed with the personal commitment of all our staff to do exactly what is good for our county, at the direction of the Board,” he said.
JD Spain Sr., who serves as the Board’s liaison to the Economic Development Commission, also stood up for staff, calling them people “of the utmost character.”
Spain said he’d be happy to meet with a contingent of activists behind closed doors, and would listen to their concerns.
For years, the County Board’s policy has been to limit speakers to one per topic during the public-comment portion of the meeting, or if there is controversy on a subject, to one representing each side of the matter.
The public-comment period, which occurs at the start of Board meetings at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays, is not a free-for-all, the Board chair said.
“This is not a public forum per se,” Karantonis said. “There are other places where this can happen, and happen very easily.”
He pointed to the Board’s “Open-Door Monday” meetings, as well as to communicating through emails or letters.
Those options, however, are not telecast for public consumption. Advocates for various causes see the public-comment period as a way to get their views out to a broader constituency.
Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors also have seen visits from pro-Palestinian activists during that body’s public-comment periods, although they have been less frequent.
Unlike Arlington’s public-comment period, which opens meetings, Fairfax’s sessions come at the end of what often are all-day events.
Also unlike Arlington leaders, Fairfax supervisors typically do not respond to remarks made by those during the public-comment period. Board Chair Jeff McKay usually gavels the meeting concluded immediately after the last speaker finishes.
Activists have targeted the Alexandria City Council as well, in one instance briefly shutting down a Council meeting.
