Rabbis Stage Protest, Name For Stop-Hearth Inside United Nations

Greater than 30 rabbis and rabbinical college students staged a protest on the United Nations on Tuesday morning, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza as Palestinian authorities say the dying toll from the U.S.-backed Israeli invasion of the territory approaches 23,000.

The rabbis, who gained entry to the constructing as a part of a guided tour, entered the United Nations Safety Council Chamber, the place they recited prayers and chanted their help for a cease-fire. HuffPost embedded with the group and noticed the protest.

Final month, in the identical room, the US vetoed a decision demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. 13 of 15 members of the Safety Council voted in favor of the decision; the UK abstained. Additionally final month, the US abstained from a watered-down Safety Council decision geared toward rising humanitarian assist to Gaza. Russia abstained from that vote as effectively, after the US vetoed a Russian modification calling for a suspension of hostilities.

“As an Israeli, I’ve gone by way of cycles of terror and nervousness, frustration, and essentially the most we are able to do in Israel proper now’s ship goodies to troopers on the entrance,” stated Jeremy Milgrom, a rabbi from Jerusalem. “I feel coming right here goes to do extra for Israel.”

Professional-cease-fire Jewish teams — together with Rabbis for Ceasefire, Jews for Racial and Financial Justice, Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow — organized Tuesday’s protest motion.

Sophie Ellman-Golan, communications director for Jews for Racial and Financial Justice, pressured the protest was not adversarial towards the United Nations, however reasonably, got here in response to the US’ actions as a part of the physique.

“Because the Biden administration is constantly, single-handedly blocking the U.N. from taking any significant motion for a cease-fire, we’re organizing 36 rabbis and rabbinical college students from seven totally different states to come back to the U.N. themselves, and say, ‘We’re talking for the individuals, it is a ethical name,’” Ellman-Golan advised HuffPost forward of the protest.

“Each single Jewish life, each single Muslim life issues, and to avoid wasting a life is to avoid wasting a whole world,” stated Ari Lev Fornari, senior rabbi of Kol Tzedek in Philadelphia.

American Jews have been sharply divided about Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas assault that left greater than 1,100 individuals lifeless in Israel and greater than 200 taken as captives, in keeping with Israeli figures. Practically half of these hostages had been launched as a part of a prisoner swap in November.

“I’m indignant. I’m upset. I really feel that each day that this struggle occurs, it will get extra of us — Palestinians and Israelis and Jews all around the world — in increasingly more hazard,” stated Abby Stein, a rabbi who was raised within the Orthodox neighborhood.

Many Jews have participated in pro-cease-fire protests, whereas distinguished Jewish teams just like the Anti-Defamation League have criticized anti-Zionist organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt referred to such teams in October as “hate teams,” and several other former staffers on the group advised Jewish Currents this month that Greenblatt had redirected the ADL’s work to concentrate on pro-Palestinian activism reasonably than American antisemitism.