Live reporting by
Emma Sedlak
Public commenters sound off on Cuyahoga County's investment in Israel bonds
Emma Sedlak
@eesedla
Good Evening! I’ll be live tweeting tonight's Cuyahoga County Council Meeting that was scheduled to begin at 5 PM. #CLEDocumenters
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@signalcleveland
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04:00 PM Jun 18, 2024 CDT
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland The meeting began at 5:03 with the roll. All council members were present except Martin Sweeney (District 3) and Michael Byrne (District 4).
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Council President Pernel Jones, Jr. (District 8) opened public comment by saying, “We welcome your right to voice your opinions on the issues that matter to you. However, this council has the right and responsibility to maintain and enforce content-neutral rules of decorum.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Physical copies of the public comment rules were made available to audience members. “We expect speakers and members of the audience to abide by these rules,” said Jones.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Those who break the rules will be escorted out of the chamber for the remainder of the session and may be barred from meetings moving forward.
There were many sign-ups today, so they will strictly adhere to the 3-minute time limit. Everyone who signed up will be able to speak.
There were many sign-ups today, so they will strictly adhere to the 3-minute time limit. Everyone who signed up will be able to speak.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland First to speak was Maurice Rhoades, who said the Longfellow Senior Apartments in Cleveland, Ohio, have no wheelchair ramps, thus violating the law.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Rhoades wants the Ohio Democratic party to secure $2 billion from the Biden Administration and HUD to build moderate and low-income housing in Cuyahoga County.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “I want this Democratic Party to represent the people of Cuyahoga County. You can’t have people in wheelchairs in apartment buildings with no wheelchair ramps. You are putting their lives in danger," said Rhoades.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Carlos Mickler said he has “been advocating for an employer contribution rate increase for the Ohio public employees retirement system since 2022.” He asked the council to consider the rate increase.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Mark Ashed spoke in support of Cuyahoga County’s investments in Israeli bonds which have “provided a consistent, stable return for years and enable dollars to be invested in our communities.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Ashed stated that the movement to end these bonds takes away dollars from Cuyahoga County residents and is a “politically motivated attack on the one Jewish state.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland He urged the council not to pursue policies that attack the state of Israel and hold Israel “to an impossible standard.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Mira Weiss from Cleveland Heights stated that the movement against Israel bonds is “anti-Semitic any way you look at it.” She also asserted that “there is no genocide" in Gaza.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Thomas Lockshin, who is the executive director of Israel bonds for Ohio and Kentucky, spoke in support of Israel bonds.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland According to Lockshin, Ohio has been invested in Israel Bonds since 1993, when the Ohio Revised Code was amended to allow the state to invest in foreign bonds.
Lockshin said the Ohio Treasurer bought $100 million last year and holds $262.5 million in Israel bonds.
Lockshin said the Ohio Treasurer bought $100 million last year and holds $262.5 million in Israel bonds.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland According to Lockshin, in 2005, Ohio allowed counties to invest in foreign bonds, and Cuyahoga County has been investing in Israel bonds since 2006.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Lockshin furthered that in 2016, the Ohio Revised Code was again amended to allow counties to invest as much as 2% of their portfolio in foreign bonds.
The same piece of legislation made it illegal to boycott, divest, or sanction the state of Israel.
The same piece of legislation made it illegal to boycott, divest, or sanction the state of Israel.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland According to Lockshin, Israel bonds typically sell about $1 billion of bonds in the United States a year. “Since the war started with Hamas on October 7, we’ve sold more than $3 billion with $1.7 billion coming from institutions,” he said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Susan Borison thanked the council for withdrawing the resolution to divest from Israel bonds. She also talked about feeling unsafe after speaking in support of Israel at a Cleveland Council meeting in October.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “While waiting to go through security, someone stood in front of me and took my picture,” Borison said. She stated that this interaction made her feel a panic that “tasted just like anti-Semitism.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Michelle Weiss, the vice mayor of University Heights, said that she feels safer in Israel than in the United States right now. She claimed the resolution to divest from Israel bonds is “an attempt to cover anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “Don’t fool yourselves. These terrorists are not going to stop with Israel if they are not defeated. America and Europe are next,” Weiss stated.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Susan Efroymson said that Cleveland’s Orthodox Jewish community was shocked and betrayed by the proposal for divestment from Israel bonds. She claimed that divestment actions will embolden terrorists and threaten Jewish people everywhere.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Catherine Catino also spoke against the proposal to divest from Israel bonds. She emphasized that the bonds have high returns and are invested in the community.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Donna Meister-Simons also spoke against divestment from Israel bonds. She highlighted that boycotting Israel is against the law in Ohio and divestment from Israel bonds would risk years of lawsuits.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Sean Abbott-Klaftor emphasized that anti-Semitism is a real threat, mentioning the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “Whenever somebody offers a criticism of the Zionist movement or the state of Israel, they are immediately labeled as an anti-Semite. That’s it. There is very rarely any deep historical or political analysis given to justify this charge,” Abbot-Klaftor said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Abbott-Klaftor asked that the council think critically about the way the language of anti-Semitism is being used by “my brothers and sisters who want our county to continue funding the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “I’m here to say, not in our name. My Jewish grandfather was not a Zionist because he understood the unresolvable contradictions of fleeing oppression in Europe by oppressing Palestinians,” Abbott-Klaftor continued.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Justin Evaristo said, “I am here once again to demand that this county stop funding the brutalization of civilians.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Evaristo said that the council took a step in the right direction at their last meeting by reading the resolution to divest from foreign bonds but called them spineless for withdrawing the resolution
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “This council is just a bunch of scared accountants masquerading as elected leaders. It’s pathetic,” said Evaristo.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Evaristo called out county executive Chris Ronayne for his inaction. “I hope you are haunted by the faces of the Martyred mothers, fathers, and children for the rest of your life,” he said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Wendy Bilgen, a Jewish resident of Cleveland Heights, spoke in favor of divesting in Israel and against the charge that divestment from Israel is anti-Semitic.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “While many Jews might maintain their Jewish identity through an emotional and financial connection to Israel,” she said her Jewishness is rooted in “ideas, celebrations, traditions, and an interfaith dedication to justice. "
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Luca Wagner started by saying, “Nice to see how many fascists showed up this week talking investments instead of human life once again while continuing to deny genocide.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Wagner singled out Ronayne for refusing to acknowledge Palestinians while standing up in other instances of oppression, namely for Ukrainians and victims of the Irish Potato Famine.
“Chris Ronayne do you only care about victims when they’re white,” Wagner asked.
“Chris Ronayne do you only care about victims when they’re white,” Wagner asked.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Wagner claimed that Ronayne’s decision to stay silent has “everything to do with his donors. He is choosing cash over Palestinian lives.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Nathan Jurcago from the Party for Socialism and Liberation said that it doesn't matter if the investments in Israeli bonds have high returns if the money is being used to fuel genocide.
He also singled out Ronayne for supporting the bonds.
He also singled out Ronayne for supporting the bonds.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Jurcago specifically called out Ronayne for claiming to support environmentalism. “The Israeli assault and occupation of Israel is one of the largest polluters on the planet, and you just sent them $3 million,” he said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Mark Freimuth thanked the council for withdrawing the resolution and said it reminded him of Germany in the 1930s.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “It is a small amount of money. It's not being used to fund anything. It's a great investment,” he said, and divestment reflects a change in attitudes towards Jewish people that is deeply disturbing to him.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Barbara Somogyi, the national chair of Israel Bonds Women's Division, thanked the council for withdrawing the resolution and stated that she has a counterpoint for everything the speakers in favor of the resolution stated but doesn't have enough time to go through them.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland According to Somogyi, by investing in Israel bonds, “you are standing with a country that is moral, that does not commit genocide, that does not live with apartheid.”
Somogyi also emphasized the innovations that have come out of Israel.
Somogyi also emphasized the innovations that have come out of Israel.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Maryam Assar called out “complicit Chris” Ronayne and asked that the county adopt a method to disclose the treasury’s investments to ensure tax dollars are “responsibly spent, as in ways that do not fund war crimes that violate international law.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Assar said, “It is not this county’s job to invest in foreign nations, in foreign militaries, in foreign infrastructure, when they could invest in local bonds like those with the municipal city of Cleveland that have similar returns.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Chance Zurub, whose family is from Gaza, spoke against the narrative that divestment from Israel bonds is too divisive.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “Is it not divisive to support the destruction of my family’s home?" Zurub said. "Is it not divisive to force them into tents? Is it not divisive to deprive a population of food and water when there is a man-made famine taking place?"
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Matt Hildebrand said public officials are doing the right thing by investing in Israel because of rising anti-Semitism.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Diana Sedi spoke against investments in Israel bonds and said, “As a climate justice activist, I am tired of counties greenwashing Israel’s ecocide.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Sedi mentioned Israel’s illegal offshore drilling exploration in Palestine’s maritime region, deforestation due to the use of white phosphorus, and bombardments in Palestine and Lebanon.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland According to Sedi, in just the first few months of “Israel’s siege on Gaza, they have created more tons of CO2 than 20 climate-vulnerable nations emit in a year.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Jonah Roth said he is a proud American Jew and asked our leaders to “not conflate Jewish safety with political support for a country and a military that has been credibly accused of war crimes and genocide.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Roth also stated that not all Jews have the same views of Israel and supporting Israel bonds does not support all Jews.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Marshall Baron emphasized that Israeli bonds are a good investment with high, consistent returns.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Lucy Schiffman said she’s not surprised by the talking points supporting investments in Israel bonds because they're the same ones she learned at an AIPAC conference ten years ago. She now recognizes that those talking points ignore the history and experiences of Palestinians.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Schiffman said if anything is anti-Semitic, it is to assume that all Jews must agree on this one topic. “If Jews don’t need to agree on investments in Israel, then neither do you council members,” she said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Basma Hamid spoke against investing in Israel bonds and stated that the occupation of Gaza and Palestine is a devastation to humanity.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Jenna Muhieddine read headlines from Gaza and told the story of her grandfathers who built houses in northern Palestine that were destroyed by warplanes in 1948. “That was very democratic of Israel,” she said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Muhieddine said, “We are the children of war, and they are the children of the silver spoon. We are not the same, and they can no longer hide their defense for genocide under the banner of anti-Semitism.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, David Pearl encouraged everyone to buy Israel bonds. He stated that Israel bonds are the only bonds that meet the criteria for investments in foreign bonds, so resolutions to prohibit foreign bonds specifically target Israel bonds.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Isabella Robert Llorens talked about her Puerto Rican heritage and compared the colonization of Puerto Rico by the United States to the colonial project in Palestine.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Tam Lidle argued that Israel bonds are not as stable as their proponents assert. Even if they are stable, Lidle argued, they are still a bad investment because they fund war crimes. Lidle also mentioned that many of the people in support of the bonds have direct ties to them.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Dan Shoag, chairman of the Economics Department at CWRU, said, “It is madness to inject politics into county investments.” He argued that Cuyahoga County investments will not cause policy changes and should be based on the strength of the portfolio.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Lauren Deberry said she’s disappointed with the council for withdrawing the resolution. She claimed most Clevelanders would rather see their tax dollars go back into the county than to a foreign government committing war crimes.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Jalen Armstrong spoke against investments in Israel bonds and said she is usually a very polite person but argued that “there should be nothing palatable or polite about genocide.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, Graham Ball discussed the 2016 Ohio bill that outlaws boycotting Israel. Ball argued that this law punishes companies for exercising their First Amendment rights. “It is crazy that our government is passing laws that are restricting our protected speech,” he said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Emily Moreno Miller spoke in support of investments in Israel bonds and emphasized that Israel bonds are the highest-performing assets in the county’s portfolio and that the county should not take sides in foreign conflicts.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland I did not hear the next speaker's name, but they spoke about Palestinian hostages who are being tortured in Israel prisons. They also asked that the council “end their stupid rules about signs, banners and flags.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Sarah Sesek stated that there are arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials for war crimes and that the county should not be investing in any country that’s leaders have arrest warrants for war crimes.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Riley Petro spoke in support of a resolution to end foreign investments.
Francoise Jacobs spoke in support of Israel bonds and told the story of her family members who love America and democracy.
Francoise Jacobs spoke in support of Israel bonds and told the story of her family members who love America and democracy.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Noelle Nassar said she’s not surprised the resolution was withdrawn as “it is not the first time zionist, for-profit interests have been prioritized.”
“We are motivated by something much stronger than saving a good financial return,” she continued.
“We are motivated by something much stronger than saving a good financial return,” she continued.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Rabbi Rosey Heim , former Israel bonds international chairperson of the Rabbinic advisory council and member of the Israel bonds council, also emphasized that Israel bonds are a great investment and are endorsed by Warren Buffet and other famous business people.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Avi Jacobs said divestment in Israel bonds would be unethical and would validate anti-semitism, terror, and hatred.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland David Shutkin spoke against investments in Israel bonds and told the story of going to high school in Israel and his journey to becoming an anti-Zionist. He said while in Israel, he witnessed the dehumanization of Palestinians every day.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Shutkin emphasized that Israel’s violence against Palestinians does not make him feel safer as a practicing Jewish man.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Matthew Haberbusch spoke in support of ending investments in foreign bonds and talked about his experience as a gay man and that his safety does not come from a police state.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Rev. Regis Bunch spoke against investments in Israel bonds and said that Juneteenth should remind us of freedom, liberation, and love for one another.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Steve Norris spoke against investments in Israel bonds and talked about the influence of AIPAC in funding pro-Israel candidates and the defeat of pro-Palestine candidates. “Money in politics is soaring every election cycle,” he said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Sharin Nassir spoke against investments in Israel bonds. She said today is her birthday, and if it weren't for the Israeli occupation of Palestine, she would be in her home in Palestine celebrating with her family.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Nima Homami said that money should not be invested in foreign bonds and advocated for investing it in municipal bonds.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Homami said less than 3% of Cuyahoga County’s portfolio is invested in Municipal bonds. These bonds support schools, infrastructure, and local institutions. In the long run, supporting municipal bonds “lowers the borrowing costs by stimulating demand for their bonds.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Jason Smith said Israel bonds are great investments that support future generations in Northeast Ohio.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Nicole Born-Crow talked about grief in Palestinian and Jewish communities. She spoke specifically about the grief of feeling betrayed by Jewish leaders who support genocide. She asks Cuyahoga County to stop investing in Israel bonds, which create more grief.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Mara Lochan spoke against Israel bonds and stated that the Jewish people who speak against Israel risk their relationships with their families, their jobs, and their legacy in the Jewish community.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Estelle Raskin spoke against Israel bonds and criticized Ronayne for campaigning against racism but ignoring the colonial history of Israel.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Dallas Eckman criticized the council's rules of decorum for not being applied equally and talked about the long history of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Warda Hamdan talked about her baby brothers who live in Palestine and their experience living under occupation. She emphasized that she wasn't just pitching a problem; she was pitching a solution.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Hamdan spoke directly to Ronayne asking to end foreign investments, outline a process for transparency, and ensure legislative protection from investments in countries that commit war crimes.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Emily Ernst called for an end to investments in Israel bonds and spoke about her experience as an Irish American whose grandfathers came to the US to escape the colonial rule of Britain over Ireland.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Nia Brady told the story of Palestinian orthopedic surgeon Adnan al-Bursh, who was arrested by Israeli forces. He died in Israeli custody in April after being tortured.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland “Dr. al-Bursh’s story is not unique. At least 493 healthcare workers in Gaza have been killed since October 7,” Brady said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Carly Riggins spoke against investments in Israel bonds and talked about violence and oppression against Palestinians in the West Bank, which she emphasized is not run by Hamas.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Rob Loftus emphasized the need for the country to divest from Israel bonds due to the humanitarian crisis.
“Peace doesn't come through military strength. Peace comes through justice,” he said.
“Peace doesn't come through military strength. Peace comes through justice,” he said.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Eric Deemer spoke against investments in Israel and pointed out that we don’t invest in any other country. He claims it is purely political and aims to connect Israel and the United States further.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Tanmay Shah spoke against investments in Israel bonds and talked about “power, hate, and Complicit Chris.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Michael Grimm discussed a rumor that he heard about the Ohio attorney general telling the council that the resolution to end foreign investments is illegal. He claimed that the legal language is not authoritative, and thus, the resolution is not illegal.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Coby Picker spoke against investments in Israel bonds and talked about his experiences in Jewish spaces where he was taught rhetorical strategies to “avoid, redirect, and twist the words of people who are arguing in favor of Palestine.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Picker said that forcing Palestinian residents of Cuyahoga County to “contribute to the continued dispossession and slaughter of their families is perversely unjust.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Ari Finkel said the timing of this resolution is undoubtedly anti-Semitic.
Lou said we shouldn't blame other people for our financial products. Lou stated that if Israel bonds give us such high returns why do we have more homeless people in Cuyahoga County than ever.
Lou said we shouldn't blame other people for our financial products. Lou stated that if Israel bonds give us such high returns why do we have more homeless people in Cuyahoga County than ever.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Lisa Tan said that she is “constantly searching for the why and the how that there are folks living here in Cuyahoga County who could ever spend an ounce of energy on hoping that a child dies over and over again in a land across the ocean. We should not be paying for that.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Jonah Ross talked about his experience growing up supporting Israel and coming to terms with the contradictions he was taught.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland According to Ross, “There are countless Jewish people across the world, some in the crowd today, who have gone through the same change of heart that I have. What I want you to gain from my comment today is that you can, too.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Ross said that investments in Israel bonds make every taxpayer in Cuyahoga County complicit in Israel’s crimes.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Tyler Golias compared investing in Israel bonds to investing in German Reich bonds and apartheid South Africa bonds. He also claimed that divestments and boycotts of South Africa are what ended apartheid.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Skyler Irvin spoke against investments and claimed that “anyone who has seen the images coming out of Gaza would not still be investing in Israel.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Celia DeWolf spoke in support of Israel bonds and talked about her experience as a Mexican living in Israel with equal rights.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Bernard Cotton spoke in support of Israel bonds and talked about his fear of the rise of anti-Semitism.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Sarah Fedala spoke against investments in Israel and talked about her frustrations with barriers in the change-making process. “The longer we discuss and host dialogue, the more the Palestinians endure, and their destruction is not put on pause while we mull over our decisions.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Akshai Singh spoke against investments in Israel bonds. He said he has a master's in finance, and it took him “5 seconds to be able to find that property assessed clean energy bonds, for example, can get 5-10% returns on your investment.”
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Adnan Reddy spoke against investments in Israel bonds and countered the claims that Israel bonds are great investments. He asked that supporters of Israel bonds bring numbers to support their claims about returns on Israel bonds and the future of those investments.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland After the public comment period ended, the council approved Byrne and Sweeney's absence and the minutes from their last meeting.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Ronayne wished everyone a happy Juneteenth and a happy fathers day. He applauded the Fatherhood Initiative for reconnecting families. He also mentioned VegFest and a free tour of the Veterans Memorial Bridge are happening this Saturday.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next, the council suspended the rules and passed R2024-0224, which appoints Laura Black as Research & Policy Analyst for Cuyahoga County.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland All resolutions presented for the first reading were referred to their respective committees for discussion.
All resolutions presented for their second reading will be presented for their third reading at the council’s next meeting in July.
All resolutions presented for their second reading will be presented for their third reading at the council’s next meeting in July.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland The council suspended the rules and passed R2024-0229, which amends the 2024/2025 Biennial Operating Budget, and R2024-0230, which approves a collective bargaining agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland All resolutions presented by the County Executive for the first reading were referred to respective committees.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland All resolutions presented by the County Executive for the second reading will be presented at their next meeting in July for third reading adoption.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland The council suspended the rules and adopted 16 resolutions during their second reading, including appointments to various county boards, a contract with Securus Technologies, LLC, and a contract to support youth and young adults experiencing homelessness or housing instability
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland The council then reviewed O2024-0005, which is held in committee, and R2024-0208, which was debated during public comment and withdrawn by its sponsors Cheryl L. Stephens (District 10) and Patrick Kelley (District 1).
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland With no miscellaneous business, the meeting adjourned at around 9:30 PM.
@cledocumenters @signalcleveland Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any inquiries on the meeting or these tweets to
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or email us at cledocumenters@gmail.com