By Deutsche Welle
06 Nov 2023, 22:25 PM EST
Dozens of left-wing Jewish activists occupied the Statue of Liberty in New York on Monday to demand from Israel a ceasefire and an end to “the genocidal bombing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza“, after the attack by the Hamas terrorist group in Israeli territory on October 7.
Dressed in black T-shirts with the slogans “Jews call for a ceasefire now” or “not in our name”dozens of young people displayed banners with messages such as “the whole world is watching” and “Palestinians should be free” at the foot of the pedestal of the iconic monument that symbolizes New York.
“The famous words of our Jewish ancestor (19th century American poet) Emma Lazarus engraved on this monument compel us to act to support the Palestinians of Gaza who aspire to live free,” Jay Saper of the organization said in a statement. Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).
⚠️ HAPPENING NOW AT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY: Hundreds of Jews and allies are holding an emergency sit-in, taking over the island to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. We refuse to allow a genocide to be carried out in our names. Ceasefire now to save lives! Never again for anyone! ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/wTjZqZFHyf
— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) November 6, 2023
For its part, a newsletter from the group Institute for Middle East Understanding (Imeu) demands “an end to Israel’s genocidal bombing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
“As long as the people of Gaza scream, we must scream louder, whatever attempts are made to silence us,” exclaimed American photographer Nancy Goldin, also in the presence of local elected representatives from New York, some of them from the left.
Demonstration for and against
The American megalopolis, emblem of immigration and multiculturalism, has been shaken for a month by pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
New York, home to some two million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Muslimshas escaped violence for the moment, but tensions are palpable, especially on university campuses like Columbia.
A very leftist sector of American Jewish youth – the vast majority of whom vote for the Democratic Party – rises up against Israel, which it accuses of perpetrating “genocide” against the Palestinians of Gazaand denounces President Joe Biden’s military and diplomatic support for the Jewish State.
Pro-Palestinian organizations are also very active and organize protests almost daily in different parts of the city to call for an end to the Israeli bombings, which have claimed more than 10,000 lives, including many children, since October 7, when the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas stormed Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapping 240 people, including babies and the elderly.
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