Hundreds of Jewish peace demonstrators demonstrated in New York this Monday, demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave that has been relentlessly bombarded by the Israeli army since October 7, 2023.
A few hundred progressive American Jewish activists peacefully occupied the Statue of Liberty in New York on Monday to demand a ceasefire from Israel and an end to the “genocidal bombardment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
Wearing black T-shirts with the slogans “Jews demand a ceasefire now” or “Not in our name,” a few hundred young people unfurled banners at the foot with the words “The whole world is watching” and “Palestinians should be free.” the base of the New York landmark.
“Genocidal bombing”
“The famous words of our Jewish ancestor (19th-century American poet) Emma Lazarus, engraved on this monument, compel us to act to support Palestinians in Gaza who seek a free life,” said Jay Saper from the organization Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP, “Jewish Voice for Peace”).
A statement from the Institute for Middle East Understanding (Imeu) group called for “an end to Israel’s genocidal bombing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
“As long as the people of Gaza are screaming, we must scream louder, no matter what attempts there may be to silence us,” exclaimed the American photographer Nancy Goldin, also in the presence of local elected officials from New York, one of whom Part is anchored on the left.
The American city, a mythical global city for immigration and multiculturalism, has been rocked by pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations for a month.
Populated by about two million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Muslims, New York has so far been spared violence, but tensions are palpable, particularly on college campuses like Columbia.
Furthermore, a segment of the very progressive American Jewish youth – Jews who overwhelmingly vote for the Democratic Party – are in revolt against Israel, which they accuse of committing “genocide” against the Palestinians in Gaza. They also condemn President Joe Biden’s military and diplomatic support for the Jewish state.
Organizations like the JVP gathered tens of thousands of demonstrators in the federal capital Washington on Saturday to demand an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and criticize American support for Israel.
Manhattan’s massive Grand Central train station was also occupied by a huge sit-in by thousands of people with the same demands in late October, and the vast multicultural and fashionable Brooklyn borough saw a surge of thousands of pro-Palestinian activists ten days ago. including American Jewish organizations.