Letter To The Editor At Highlands Current: Re Hijacking Spirit of Beacon Day to Palestine/Israel Suffering

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“In the spirit of having dialogue, one could argue that a ceasefire resolution is spot on with what the Spirit of Beacon spirit would aim to accomplish: bringing together different community members in the public forum of City Hall to stand against murders of Palestinian doctors, journalists, parents, children, teachers, aid workers, donkeys, lambs, olive trees, and anything that is alive in Palestine.  ”
— Katie Hellmuth, former Chair of Spirit of Beacon Day

ALBB’s Editor’s Note: Katie Hellmuth is the publisher and writer for A Little Beacon Blog, and former Chair for the Spirit of Beacon Day. She submitted her Letter to the Editor of the Highlands Current after she learned that Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek had compared the Spirit of Beacon Day to the genocide going on in Palestine by the Israeli government.

Her Letter as Printed Reads:

As the former Chair of the Spirit of Beacon Day, I am taken aback by Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek’s letter where his proposed local Beacon solution to addressing the war on Gaza  would be to go the route of coming together to have something like a Spirit of Beacon Day Parade instead of passing a ceasefire resolution in Beacon. Rabbi Brent is responding to the request of several citizens of Beacon - Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Christian, Undeclared - to have a permeant ceasefire, return of all hostages and kidnapped and detained Palestinians, and the defunding of Israel by the Untied States (and by extension New York and Beacon tax dollars).

Rabbi Brent attempted to relate the mega homicide going on in Palestine right now to the racial riots by some of Beacon’s youth in 1977 which went on for some days. Those riots had physical clashes, but nothing close to the multination of bodies we have seen of the children of Gaza, where their parents and other community members are searching for their body parts, not knowing who they belong to. Not to mention digging Palestinians out of the rubble. Or the systematic destruction of schools, hospitals, mosques, churches that has occurred after October 7th, 2024, but also occurred before that date as well, under Israel’s occupation of Gaza, funding by the United States, and thus in part by New York and Beacon.

An important question that needs asked and answered is: If a ceasefire resolution in Beacon is so fruitless, then why the pushback against it? Rabbi Brent said it would “strain” if not “shred” the social fabric in Beacon. However, Beaconites who have family and land in Palestine are already strained as they text each morning and night to see if their family and friends are still alive. With the rejection of the consideration of a ceasefire resolution, the community who supports Palestine feels even more not seen or heard.

In the spirit of having dialogue, one could argue that a ceasefire resolution is spot on with what the Spirit of Beacon spirit would aim to accomplish: bringing together different community members in the public forum of City Hall to stand against murders of Palestinian doctors, journalists, parents, children, teachers, aid workers, donkeys, lambs, olive trees, and anything that is alive in Palestine.  

Katie Hellmuth
Former Chair of the Spirit of Beacon Day
Publisher A Little Beacon Blog

Letter To The Editor: Lila Barchetto, A Jewish Resident Supporting Beacon's Ceasefire Resolution

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My name is Lila Barchetto, I am a Jewish Beacon resident of 10 years and I fully support our City of Beacon passing a ceasefire resolution.

Our tax dollars are funding the Genocide of Palestinian people, the collective punishment of innocent men, women, and children. Israel is an apartheid state, a colonial project, and a racist theocratic ethnostate that has not and will not save Jews from anti-semitism globally.

Beacon owes no allegiance to Israel. And neither do Jews for that matter. "Bibi'' Netanyahu and his fascist cabinet do not care what our little city does. Netanyahu doesn't care what President Biden says or what The International Court of Justice rules. The Israeli government has spoken clearly and plainly that they wish to annihilate Gaza and murder as many Palestinians as possible. The Israeli government has repeatedly prioritized vengeance over freeing hostages. Not even the lives of their own citizens could deter Israel's goal of total destruction, ethnocide, and genocide in Gaza. There is no complication. By calling for a ceasefire Beacon is taking a stand for its residents and is sending a message to the state and federal Government that we do not condone genocide. We do not accept that our tax dollars are funding Israel's Genocide of Palestine.

There is nothing anti-semitic in the language of this resolution. The purposeful conflation of Jewishness with Israel is at its core anti-semitic. The redundant lamentings of long standing "complications" to this issue is willfully distracting and deeply patronizing. Please, speak plainly about what this "slippery slope" is descending into. Take the time to be specific, and tell us what is so complicated. If the opposition to this resolution can not do that, then they have said nothing.

The City Council should pass this resolution to ensure that we truly are the "welcoming, safe and inclusive city" we claim to be. Israel's Genocide of the Palestinian people is costing Beacon an average $200,000 taxpayer dollars annually. The environmental cost is beyond measure. I can not overstate the cost to our collective and individual humanity if we do not act now as a community and call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Letter To The Editor: R. Qader Speaks Her Truth About Living In America As A Palestinian and Arab

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Editor’s Note: R. Qader spoke at the City Council Meeting on February 20, 2024 during Public Comment (video of that is at the end of this article). In total, 51 people came out to speak about if Beacon City Council should pass a ceasefire resolution (which you can view at @alittlebeacon IG which inspired many people to come out who had never attended a City Council Meeting before), as dozens of other municipalities have done in New York and across the nation. During R. Qader’s speech then, she said her family were refugees during the first Nakba in 1948. She says she was in 8th grade during 9/11, and was harassed after that.

  • She says that she used to wear the hijab 🧕🏽 headscarf, because as a Muslim, the hijab is a form of protection. However, she stopped wearing it because she was targeted and it was no longer protecting her.

  • She was pushed down the stairs, and had her hijab ripped off her head.

  • She was called “terrorist” every day.

  • She was called “Osama mama”

  • She was told by her teachers that all Palestinians were born suicide bombers.

  • She had stink bombs thrown at her by her peers.

  • Every time something went wrong in a classroom, multiple students would yell “the Muslim did it!,” “the Arab did it!,” “the Palestinian did it!”

  • She’s had teachers maliciously butcher her name daily in passive protest to her identity.

  • She said there were no consequences for the way she was treated in school. Nothing ever happened to her harassers, who were other young kids and teachers. She was not protected. She wore a tshirt that said “No blood for oil” and kids said “blood for oil” in response.

She said that nothing was done to protect her. She said that Muslims and Arabs do not submit claims of harassment and abuse and threats because they are not protected.

R. Qader covers 3 points in her Letter To The Editor below:

“People may look at this differently than local hate crimes because it is an international matter, but I would argue this is an amplification of the anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian attacks that have been taking place long before October 7th. It has been well documented that Muslims are less likely to report hate crimes because they do not feel safe with their community leaders or law enforcement. Many in the Muslim community do not feel protected by the people or the institutions in place, people and institutions like this.”
— R. Qader

Without this [ceasefire resolution from Beacon, NY]…we are not safe. Think of this statement as a blanket that puts a child to bed at night. A blanket is supposed to be comforting, safe and warm; yet, with this statement, we lay cold and exposed. Without the call for a ceasefire, it implies that our cities, the places we call home, have not only accepted, but condoned the murder of our people. Without the call for a ceasefire, Zionism retains the power, and we have seen and we have felt, for more than 70 years, what that power is capable of in their hands. Without the call for a ceasefire, I’m scared to walk down local streets because if they’re cool with harassing my people in Palestine, they’re certainly cool with harassing us here.

We’ve seen examples of this even at the most prestigious of institutions. At Columbia University, in America, IDF soldiers threw skunk liquid on students and violently attacked young men for wearing keffiyehs. One of those young men is now paralyzed. Yet still, this is not the most violent of attacks Palestinian Americans and supporters of Palestine face. In the supposed safety of his own home, a six year old child was murdered by his neighbor in Chicago. Without the call for a ceasefire, without the support of our local government to ensure our safety, what do we tell our children? You are neither safe on the streets, nor in your home. You are not safe anywhere.

“The violence we face is not hypothetical, and it is not new. I’ve dealt with this personally at a public Ulster county school following the September 11th attacks. I was pushed down the stairs; I had the hijab ripped off my head; I was called “Osama mama”; I was told “all Palestinians are raised to be suicide bombers.”
— R. Qader

The violence we face is not hypothetical, and it is not new. I’ve dealt with this personally at a public Ulster county school following the September 11th attacks. I was pushed down the stairs; I had the hijab ripped off my head; I was called “Osama mama”; I was told “all Palestinians are raised to be suicide bombers”; I was told to go back to where I came from; I had stink bombs thrown at me.

Every time something went wrong in a classroom, multiple students would yell “the Muslim did it!,” “the Arab did it!,” “the Palestinian did it!” I have had teachers maliciously butcher my name daily in passive protest to my identity.

“All this was accepted and was condoned by both teachers and staff. All this happened at a place where I should have felt safe. These events have directly influenced my decision not to send my children to public schools. These events leave me wary of activities for my children where I cannot be present to ensure their safety.”
— R. Qader

All this was accepted and was condoned by both teachers and staff. All this happened at a place where I should have felt safe. These events have directly influenced my decision not to send my children to public schools. These events leave me wary of activities for my children where I cannot be present to ensure their safety. Although my family are not residents in Beacon, we are active in Beacon. My husband works with local grocery shops and marts there, and my children and I attended classes and activities regularly in Beacon. I love Beacon as many people do. I have watched the city grow, expand and change for over three decades. However, I cannot overlook three very important issues that will affect my family and I’s decision to continue working with the community.

There is a rise in hate crimes pertaining to THIS specific issue.

People may look at this differently than local hate crimes because it is an international matter, but I would argue this is an amplification of the anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian attacks that have been taking place long before October 7th. It has been well documented that Muslims are less likely to report hate crimes because they do not feel safe with their community leaders or law enforcement.

“Many in the Muslim community do not feel protected by the people or the institutions in place, people and institutions like this. Our government, our media, and our leaders have continuously painted a picture of Palestinians as terrorists; we can see this throughout decades of film and television where Israel and Palestine is used as the butt of a joke or an allegory to an eternal struggle that will never end.”
— R. Qader

Many in the Muslim community do not feel protected by the people or the institutions in place, people and institutions like this. Our government, our media, and our leaders have continuously painted a picture of Palestinians as terrorists; we can see this throughout decades of film and television where Israel and Palestine is used as the butt of a joke or an allegory to an eternal struggle that will never end. Even with what is happening now, even with the live footage, the images, the accounts from Palestinians posted freely online for all to see and share, the LIFE within the Gaza and West Bank borders is rarely acknowledged. We do not hear about the doctors, nurses, teachers, sanitation workers, or students of Gaza; no, instead, we hear “Hamas”.

“The call for a ceasefire does not mean you now stand with Israel or you now stand with Hamas. The call for a ceasefire means the recognition of Palestinians as humans, humans worthy of safety, food, shelter, and life.”
— R. Qader

Hamas is in the hospitals,
Hamas controls the schools,
Hamas is in the tunnels;
Palestine is Hamas and Hamas is Palestine.
Let me state this clearly and loudly, I am NOT HAMAS. PALESTINIANS ARE NOT HAMAS. If my Jewish friends and colleagues in this community retain the right and the freedom to not be associated with Israel, then I and my fellow Palestinians retain that same right to declare we are not Hamas.

The call for a ceasefire does not mean you now stand with Israel or you now stand with Hamas. The call for a ceasefire means the recognition of Palestinians as humans, humans worthy of safety, food, shelter, and life. The call for a ceasefire means that Beacon stands for justice and safety of all citizens within its borders and beyond. As you talk about Cyprus, think of Palestine and her people. Our freedom will not be selfish, our freedom will not halt at the borders, our freedom can be your freedom too.

Liberation of Palestine has never and will never be exclusive. “Liberation for Palestine stands for liberation everywhere” has been heard throughout the world.

Firstly, dialogue is not going to help put pressure on our Congressman Pat Ryan, who receive funding from AIPAC to support a genocide. We have talked to him, too. We have had several meetings with him, and he sits, nods his head, sips his water when asked direct questions, and provides professional, political, placating responses. Although he listens, our words are not heard. He thanks us for sharing our stories and concerns, then accuses us of things that are simply not true, like “storming his office”. He thinks by taking meetings with us, we will simply overlook the fact that he is shaking hands with the small minority of people, who are trying to justify the killing and occupation of my people. To which I say, we will not look away, we will not stop speaking the truth, and we will not forget who you stood with when genocide was occurring.

“Do not let these people distract you from finding the truth for yourself. This is not a “conflict”; this is not “complicated”. This is an occupation, this is apartheid, and this is genocide.”
— R. Qader

Do not let these people distract you from finding the truth for yourself. This is not a “conflict”; this is not “complicated”. This is an occupation, this is apartheid, and this is genocide. The ICJ, the ICC, and Amnesty International have said this is plain language. That being said, let me be clear, no one is asking you to choose a side; that is not why we elected you to your position. We are not asking you to draw the plans for free Palestine yourself. We are not asking to be superheroes and save the world. What we are asking is for you to fulfill your role as an elected official by representing the people in your constituency and amplifying our voices. Your community is here to tell you that we demand you to call for a ceasefire and push the resolution.

“We are not asking to be superheroes and save the world. What we are asking is for you to fulfill your role as an elected official by representing the people in your constituency and amplifying our voices. ”
— R. Qader

The resolution put forth will make a difference. It will make Palestinians in our community and those who stand with Palestine feel safe and heard by our leaders. This resolution amplifies our voices to our district and state officials. This resolution will require them to hear us. We have tried talking with them directly, and despite maintaining their stance that they speak for the majority of their constituents, they have continuously voted in support of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF, same as IDF) and for the continuation of violence. We need you to help amplify our voices and make it known, these votes do not represent the people.

“The resolution put forth will make a difference. It will make Palestinians in our community and those who stand with Palestine feel safe and heard by our leaders. This resolution amplifies our voices to our district and state officials. ”
— R. Qader

Calling for a ceasefire will unite us with national cities and communities that have already made the call. Beacon would not be the first, but it will not be last. Some may argue that calling for a ceasefire or passing this resolution is a “waste of time”, but standing for humanity has never been and will never be a waste of time. Showing our children that we do not accept genocide will never be a waste of time.

Telling the nation that we do not accept the murder of over ten thousand children is not a waste of time. Standing alongside our Palestinian Christian, Muslim and Jewish community to call for unity and safety will never be a waste of time. There is time for dialogue and there is time for action. Right now, we need action. As we debate calling for a ceasefire, Palestinians continue to die, starve, and succumb to preventable illness. WE as Palestinians do not want to be refugees, again. We as Palestinians want to remain on the land of their grandparents and their grandparents before them. We as Palestinians want to be able to stay, live, raise our children and prosper on our land.

Just recently, we have watched as our U.S. government approved billions of dollars to go to Israel and stopped funding to a UN organization that works exclusively with those Palestinians refugees you spoke of today, the UNWRA. Our government has been vocal in support of the Palestinian people, but has actively working against the Palestinian people. We need you, more than ever, to represent us and amplify our voices.

And again, I’d like to highlight that this pain doesn’t come from this community directly, it comes from what this community is a part of, the bigger picture. This pain comes from the state and the nation that is steadfast in funding and supplying the weaponry that has been murdering my people and occupying my people. Blood is on the hands of our nation’s leaders. We cannot be silent.

I call on your action. Not your words. Your action. And I call on you to act towards a permanent ceasefire, now.

“And again, I’d like to highlight that this pain doesn’t come from this community directly, it comes from what this community is a part of, the bigger picture. This pain comes from the state and the nation that is steadfast in funding and supplying the weaponry that has been murdering my people and occupying my people.”
— R. Qader

I was taken aback when some council members stated they feel a call for a ceasefire would disrupt the peace in the community and that remaining silent is the better course. Certainly, I would think the opposite as true. Calling for the end of a violent, disproportionate attack would welcome conversation, peace and dialogue more than remaining silent on the issue. Silence implies acceptance, implies compliance, and implies support. For myself, I would be much more open to sit at the table with someone who is openly vocal against the murder and occupation of my people. I will certainly not shake hands with someone who has been silent about the ongoing genocide in Palestine, further with someone who does not stand for the end of occupation or genocide in any nation around the world. You cannot expect me to trust someone who lacks basic humanity, to sit with a person who cannot see the ills and crimes being committed. We, as Palestinians, have tried this in the past, and it has never ended in our favor. We have learned from experience to fear those who cannot see us as people and to fear those who remain silent.

I have to reiterate this is not a complicated decision. You do not need a degree to stand against violence. It is that simple. This is not an issue that does not affect us in the community; this is not an issue “over there”. This is a community issue. When Black Lives Matter protests were happening here, the people of Palestine stood up with us. George Floyd was painted on the walls of Gaza; they were able to recognize and connect the injustices against American people as directly connected to the injustices they face. How can we not do the same? How can we not see that the violence, hatred, and anger is directly affecting our community? That it is dividing us?

“One council member stated that she would love and welcome Palestinian refugees to Beacon, which is a beautiful sentiment in theory. However, it is simply that - a sentiment. The Palestinians do not want to be refugees, and would certainly not want to be forced to move to a city that refused to acknowledge the bloodshed of the families, friends, and community members. ”
— R. Qader

One council member stated that she would love and welcome Palestinian refugees to Beacon, which is a beautiful sentiment in theory. However, it is simply that - a sentiment. The Palestinians do not want to be refugees, and would certainly not want to be forced to move to a city that refused to acknowledge the bloodshed of the families, friends, and community members. Furthermore, if this council is not acting to protect its Palestinian-American constituents from hate crimes and bigotry now, how could we promise refugees safety?

Every moment we spend debating whether the call to end violence is “appropriate”, Palestinians are dying, Palestinians are being bombed, Palestinians are being shot, beaten, and starved. The time to act is now. The time to show the world that the people of Beacon stand for peace, humanity and liberty is now.

Letter To The Editor: Phoebe Zinman, A Jewish American In Beacon, Implores Beacon City Council To Pass Ceasefire Resolution

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Editor’s Note: Phoebe Zinman also submitted this letter to Beacon’s City Council.

“My grandmother worked very hard to get Jewish families to America during WWII. Not one single member of my family would want this genocidal rampage to happen in Palestine, and certainly not in our name. ”
— Phoebe Zinman

As a 13-year resident of Beacon, a homeowner, an elected trustee of one of our community’s most valuable institutions, and a Jewish American, I am calling on you to pass the ceasefire resolution. My family escaped from the pogroms in Russia and came to this country in the early 1900’s. My grandmother worked very hard to get Jewish families to America during WWII. Not one single member of my family would want this genocidal rampage to happen in Palestine, and certainly not in our name.

This is a horrific ethnic cleansing that we are watching in real time, and also bearing witness to the power of pro-Zionist propaganda at every level of our society and culture. Furthermore, my father’s family were socialists and were blacklisted during the Cold War by the American government for speaking their truth to capitalist power and against censorship of the freedom of expression. Now in 2024, we are witnessing more blacklisting, more censorship, more limits to our freedom to criticize Israel’s actions.

“Is the City Council and the city prepared to stand on the wrong side of history, under the weak pretense that the resolution doesn’t matter?”
— Phoebe Zinman

Is the City Council and the city prepared to stand on the wrong side of history, under the weak pretense that the resolution doesn’t matter? If it doesn’t matter, why are any of us serving our city? This is a time for being clear about the value of human life, and not for favoring those with more power and resources.

You must pass this ceasefire resolution, there is no other choice you can make in good conscience,

Phoebe Zinman

Letter To The Editor: Arthur Camins And Tina Bernstein-Camins, Beacon Jews, Call On Beacon City Council To Pass Ceasefire Resolution

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Editorial Note: Tina Bernstein can be heard in a podcast interview with ALBB recorded days after Israeli’s aggression on Gaza in response to the October 7th attack by Hamas.

Dear Editor:

The Beacon City Council is discussing a possible humanitarian ceasefire resolution. As Jews, we support passage.

Jews speak with many voices from varying values and politics.  Like other Jews of our age, we grew up in the dark shadow of the Holocaust. Though our parents were not survivors of the Holocaust, we had family members who survived fighting with the resistance, were hidden by a kind Polish family, and survived by playing dead in a pile in Treblinka and then lived to testify at Nuremberg.

“We know deep in our marrow that Jews cannot be safe anywhere in the world, while Palestinians who share the same piece of the Earth are not free. Not all Jews of the diaspora–now or in the past–regard a Jewish state as central to their identity or safety.”
— Arthur Camins and Tina Bernstein-Camins

We grew into adulthood amidst the conflicts of the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements.  We have direct, devastating familial experience of government-led efforts to silence dissent during the McCarthy period. As Jews, we learned vital lessons that we’ve carried through our lives into retirement and in how we raised our two children.

Lesson 1: The German and world silence as the Nazis attacked and eventually rounded-up and murdered Jews, Roma, Homosexuals, and dissidents taught us to never relinquish our power to speak up and stand against injustice, no matter how intransient the perpetrators or how dim the prospect for justice.  During the civil rights movement, the segregationists argued that "You can't legislate people to love one another."  Maybe not.  However, in the face of pitched conflict, the moral and political power of direct action and legislative demands for new laws led to an end to egregious de jure discrimination. We know that no path to mutual empathy and respect, peace, democracy, and justice for all is possible while people are killing one another. In the face of the Hamas October 7 attack and Israel’s murderous attack on innocent Gazans, we call on our City Council to not remain silent.

“In the face of pitched conflict, the moral and political power of direct action and legislative demands for new laws led to an end to egregious de jure discrimination. ”
— Arthur Camins and Tina Bernstein-Camins

Lesson 2: Never again means never again for anyone. That is why some of our grandparents organized labor unions, fought for school integration, and marched on Washington in 1963. It is why we’ve followed in their footsteps.  It is why we joined others to protest the U.S. horrific napalming of North Vietnam.  It is why we've fought racism our whole adult lives.  It is why we demand that our government cease its diplomatic and financial support for Israel's wholesale annihilation of Palestinians—entire families, children, educational institutions, mosques—anything that remains.  We know deep in our marrow that Jews cannot be safe anywhere in the world, while Palestinians who share the same piece of the Earth are not free. Not all Jews of the diaspora–now or in the past–regard a Jewish state as central to their identity or safety.

Silence is the face of injustice is acceptance. We call on the Beacon City Council to stand up and pass a resolution to demand:

1) An immediate permanent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel;
2) An end to U.S. military aid to Israel;
3) A release of all Hamas-held hostages and Israeli-held political prisoners;
4) Condemnation of any killing of innocent civilians;
5) Condemnation of hatred against Arabs, Muslims, Palestinians, Israelis, and Jews.

Arthur Camins and Tina Bernstein-Camins
Beacon, NY

Letter To The Editor: Sarah From, A Beacon Jew, Insists That Beacon City Council Pass A Ceasefire Resolution

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To the Editor:

As a Jew, a parent, and a human, I cannot turn away from what is happening in Israel and Palestine right now. Along with other Beacon Jews, in December I co-organized a pro-ceasefire menorah lighting outside Rep. Pat Ryan's office that drew fifty people, demanding him to act immediately to stop the horror.

Since Congress has failed to answer our call, we must act locally to send a clear message that we do not support our tax dollars going to fuel more death, more destruction, more despair. The Beacon City Council must pass a ceasefire resolution.

Sincerely,
Sarah From
Beacon, NY

Beacon Residents Marched On Sidewalk For A Free Palestine On February 3, 2024 (Photos And Video)

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On February 3, 2024, some Beacon residents gathered for a rally at Pohill Park, which then commenced down Main Street on the sidewalk. The march was peaceful and calm.

Prior to the march, community organizer with Next Step Hudson Valley, and former Beacon City Councilmember, Ali T. Muhammad, gave a safety pep-talk. In his talk, he encouraged anyone who encountered resisters to remain quiet and calm.

After and during the march, organizers announced that there was a gathering at City Hall the following Monday to ask Beacon’s City Council to consider and pass a ceasefire resolution during Public Comment. Several people did show up for that council meeting and gave their thoughts on why Beacon should consider and draft a ceasefire resolution. Three people spoke against a ceasefire resolution.

Weekly rallies were happening Newburgh to encourage the City of Newburgh to pass a ceasefire resolution, which it did after several drafts and demonstrations. Those rallies will now be held in Beacon until the City of Beacon passes its own ceasefire resolution.

Chants included:

Free Free Palestine
From The River To The 🌊 Sea 🍉
Gaza Gaza Don’t You Cry
Gaza 🇵🇸 Called Out, 🇾🇪 Yemen Answered
Israeli 🚢 Ships Are Canceled
Yemen Yemen Don’t You Cry
We Will Never Let You Die
Biden Biden You Will See
Palestine Will Be Free
Israel Is A Terrorist State
Long Live Palestine
Viva Viva Palestina

Hundreds Protest Outside Pat Ryan’s Kingston Office Demanding Permanent Ceasefire and Defunding of Israeli Military

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Photo from video posted at Kingstonwalk4blacklives

Photo credit: Shadia Fayne Wood

After 90 days of Israel’s murderous assault on Gaza, pressure is growing to end U.S. support for military aid to Israel. On January 5, 2024, hundreds of protesters packed the street in front of the Congressman Pat Ryan’s (District 18 which includes Beacon) Wall Street office in Kingston, NY to call for a permanent ceasefire and end to Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 22,000 Palestinians in the past 90 days.

Constituents dropped 3 banners from the roof of the office building, one of which listed hundreds of names of Palestinians killed in Gaza. The other banners read: “90 days. 22,000 killed” and “Pat Ryan: Stop the Genocide.”
Photo Credits: Shadia Fayne Wood

“I wake up each morning worrying about whether my family and friends in Gaza will see another sunrise. How many more Palestinians have to die before my elected officials take action to stop sending our tax dollars to bomb my family?”
— Abdullah Qotate

“I wake up each morning worrying about whether my family and friends in Gaza will see another sunrise,” said Abdullah Qotate, a resident of Goshen, New York, who also spoke at the disruption of the Swearing-In Ceremony at the Gardiner Town Hall. “How many more Palestinians have to die before my elected officials take action to stop sending our tax dollars to bomb my family?”

Photo Credit: Found at @Celebrate.845

Demonstrators amassed at the Ulster County Legislative Building before marching to Congressman Pat Ryan’s office at 307 Wall Street where they attempted to speak to staff in the office before assembling tents around the entrance of Ryan’s office calling attention to the forced displacement of 1.9 million Palestinians or over 85% of Gaza’s population. Protesters sat among the tents with signs reading:

  • “Stop Starving Gaza,”

  • “No Money for Massacres,”

  • “Ceasefire: Shine a Light” while speakers read a list of names of Palestinians killed and held a moment of silence.

“Every person who died today would have been saved if there had been a ceasefire yesterday. We are putting our bodies on the line today in the streets of Kingston because, as American Jews, we cannot stand by and be silent while Israel destroys entire neighborhoods in the name of Jewish safety with funding from the U.S. government. Starving the people of Gaza, bombing hospitals, and making millions homeless is unconscionable – and I implore our elected officials to represent our values,” Andrew Hiller, Mid-Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America.

“We are putting our bodies on the line today in the streets of Kingston because, as American Jews, we cannot stand by and be silent while Israel destroys entire neighborhoods in the name of Jewish safety with funding from the U.S. government. Starving the people of Gaza, bombing hospitals, and making millions homeless is unconscionable – and I implore our elected officials to represent our values.”
— Andrew Hiller

According to the organizer’s press release: “As the civilian death toll in Gaza increases daily, Rep. Pat Ryan faces growing pressure from voters to support a permanent ceasefire and end of military aid to Israel. On January 2, a swearing-in ceremony for local officials presided over by Mr. Ryan was disrupted by a large group of concerned constituents who unfurled a banner reading “permanent ceasefire” (read more about that here on ALBB) in front of his podium. His offices in Kingston, Newburgh, and Poughkeepsie have all been the sites of large ceasefire demonstrations in the past three months (including this one from Beaconites), drawing hundreds of local residents, from across all faiths and backgrounds, who insist that Mr. Ryan do more to ensure that no more U.S. tax dollars go toward funding genocide. While Mr. Ryan has publicly stated that he desires to see lasting peace in the region, he has stopped short of calling for any concrete measures that will end the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.”

“We at Jewish Voice for Peace – Hudson Valley demand an immediate unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration must also refrain from sending any more weapons to the Israeli government. Pat Ryan should know the majority of Americans are with us: 61% of likely voters, including a majority of Democrats (76%) and Independents (57%) and a plurality of Republicans (49%), support the U.S. calling for a permanent ceasefire as of a Dec 5 poll. We mourn for the Palestinian and Israeli civilians killed, and we continue to fight with everything we have for the living,” said Margie Leopold, Jewish Voice for Peace - Hudson Valley.

Friday’s demonstration was organized by a broad coalition from across the region: Mid-Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America, Jewish Voice for Peace - Hudson Valley, Wednesday Walk 4 Black Lives, Middle-East Crisis Response, Mid-Hudson Islamic Community, Veterans For Peace - Hudson Valley, Communist Party - HV, Vassar SJP, and Poughkeepsie4Palestine. The founder of Poughkeepsie4Palestine, Rahul Daniyal Kumar, is a ninth grader at Oakwood Friends School interested in Political Science, Government, and Modern Middle Eastern Studies.

Protesters closed the event vowing to return as many times as it takes until a permanent ceasefire is declared.

Photo Credit: Veekas Ashoka

Pat Ryan Disrupted At Swearing In Ceremony At Gardiner Town Hall By Constituents Demanding Permanent Ceasefire and End To Military Aid To Israel

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As reported by KingstonWalk4BlackLives, on January 2, 2024, constituents of Congressman Pat Ryan (District 18) disrupted a swearing-in ceremony at Gardiner Town Hall officiated by the congressman “to demand that the congressman immediately and unconditionally support a permanent ceasefire and no military aid to Israel.”

“Congressman, I’m your constituent. My family and friends are being killed in Gaza. How many Palestinians have to die before you support a ceasefire?”
— Abdallah Qotate

NewPaltzStudentsForPalestine, which is a coalition of antifascists working to bring attention to Israel’s ongoing genocidal occupation of Palestine, also published video with reporting, stating: “Today one of our members linked up with some local comrades to disrupt an event hosted in Gardiner by our local Representative Pat Ryan, a vocal defender of the Israeli regime who has voted repeatedly to send billions of dollars to Israel while his own constituents experience poverty and homelessness. Despite being almost physically assaulted at times by several Zionists who attended the event, we held firm and let Pat Ryan know that he cannot expect to cruise to reelection while brazenly ignoring his constituents.”

“The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have killed more than 22,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023. Congressman Ryan has yet to call for an unconditional permanent ceasefire.”

Abdallah Qotate, a Goshen resident, went to the front of the room to ask: “Congressman, I’m your constituent. My family and friends are being killed in Gaza. How many Palestinians have to die before you support a ceasefire?” In the middle of his sentence, a man yelled sharply: “SIT DOWN! Sit Down.” followed by a “Shut-up! Just sit down!” by an older white woman in the front of the room, followed by a “Shame!” by somebody else. Another man whispered: “You’re just increasing his popularity.”

Those in favor of Palestinian lives in the audience began shouting: “How many Palestinians have to die?”

“As a Jew, I know that calling for an end to genocide is not anti-semetic. Never again means never again to anyone. Shame on Pat Ryan. I voted for Pat Ryan and I don’t know how he can sleep at night having experienced the horrors of war firsthand and knowing there’s an active genocide happening in Palestine.”
— Adam Lipsky

A large banner reading “Permanent Ceasefire” was unfurled at the front of the room, in front of Congressman Ryan. Immediately, the older white woman who shouted “Shut-up! Just sit down!” stood in front of the banner to try to block it from view. A white man in a red and black flannel shirt and khaki pants who was seated next to her also stood in front of the banner and attempted to spread his coat in front of the banner. When the banner holders moved in front of the woman blocking, she came out from under the banner to stand in front of it again. Eventually, the man in the red plaid shirt approached a camera filming before the camera shut off.

Adam Lipsky, a Highland resident, also spoke up, saying: “As a Jew, I know that calling for an end to genocide is not anti-semetic. Never again means never again to anyone. Shame on Pat Ryan.” Adam also said: “I voted for Pat Ryan and I don’t know how he can sleep at night having experienced the horrors of war firsthand and knowing there’s an active genocide happening in Palestine.”

According to KingstonWalk4BlackLives, constituents stayed in the room for fifteen minutes, chanting:

“Ryan Ryan, you can’t hide,
We charge you with genocide!”

50 Beacon Jewish Voters and Kids Dedicate Hanukka’s 8th Night To Demand Call For Ceasefire From Pat Ryan

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The weeks after October 7, 2023 have been confusing and ever-changing. The feelings of which remain daily. Locally in Beacon, everyone wanted to protect their neighbor - Jewish, Muslim - Arab - to ensure their safety. Protests started in the name of Palestine, led by some Jewish and Palestinian community leaders, like this one in October outside of Congressman Pat Ryan’s office, and this one after the Thanksgiving “ceasefire pause,” also outside of Pat Ryan’s office. The Congressman has yet to call for a ceasefire or give any acknowledgement of the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians, and targeted of others (like journalists).

In response to Pat Ryan’s silence, more Beaconites in the Jewish community began to mobilize, resulting in a ceasefire lighting of the menorah on the 8th and final night of Hanukkah outside of Pat Ryan’s office in Newburgh Thursday evening.

At first, an artsy Ceasefire Menorah sign emerged on social media. The adhesive bling and glitter tape placed at odd angles indicated this was a sign made by children in sincerity, trying to stop the bombing. This is classic Beacon style, for those who were in Beacon during the days of the bicycle sculpture menorah.

Said one participant about the genesis of the organizing: “A local group of Beacon Jews are upset by what is happening in Gaza, and want Pat Ryan to act to stop it.”

Kids from Beacon, Cold Spring and possibly elsewhere wrote on cards their reasons for why they were there and wanted the bombing to stop. Said one Beacon kid: “I support ceasefire because too many people have died.” Said one kid from Cold Spring: “I support ceasefire because what is happening is horrible.”

Said a voter from Beacon: “I support ceasefire because my Jewish values demand it!”

The cards were taped to Pat Ryan’s office window. Cards have been taped to his windows after other protests. Removing them and having them reappear must feel like the scene in Harry Potter when the owls keep delivering the message, despite the messages getting thrown away.

The artist Mimi Fortunato, who describes herself as an artist/educator disrupting systemic racism that perpetuates educational, environmental, economic inequities, painted a cape that she wore to the evening.

Jewish-Led Menorah Lighting Demanding Ceasefire In Front Of Pat Ryan's Newburgh Office

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Some people in the Jewish community in Beacon organized a menorah lighting on the final night of Hanukkah in front of Congressman Pat Ryan’s office in Newburgh, to help him hear them demand an immediate ceasefire.

The artist Mimi Fortunato designed a menorah cape specifically for this occasion.
Photo Credit: Mimi Fortunato

From the organizers: “Please come to Rep Pat Ryan’s office this Thursday 12/14 at 4pm-5pm (605 Broadway in Newburgh) to demand that Rep Ryan call for an immediate ceasefire. Bring a sign, light a menorah for the last night of Hanukkah. All are welcome! 🕊️”

Judging by the artistic style of this sign, especially the glitter tape and adhesive bling, and knowing what we know about Beaconites, it is quite possible that this sign was designed by children. Who most likely will be at the menorah lighting.

The first protest held in front of Pat Ryan’s office in Poughkeepsie with over 150 Jewish and Palestinian allies were in attendance was in October, which you can read about here.

Jewish-Led Ceasefire In Palestine Events In The Hudson Valley In The Coming Days

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Ceasefire events for Israeli’s aggression in Palestine are happening in succession. See these dates below and mark your calendar for participation.

Light In For A Ceasefire Now
Day: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Time: 5-6pm
Location: Promenade Hill Park, Hudson, NY

Artist Teach
Day: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Time: 3-6pm
Register here >

Jewish-Led Chanukah Ritual
Day: Thursday, December 14, 2023
Time: 4pm
Location: 605 Broadway, Newburgh, NY
Outdoor, pavement sidewalk. Free street parking/lot across

Ceasefire Now
Days: Sundays
Time: 1pm
Location: NE Corner of Route 59 & Middletown Rd, Nanuet, NY
Outdoors with chants on wide sidewalks. Park at Shake Shack!

Petition March & Delivery
Day: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Time: 3pm
Location: 13 New Hempstead Rd, New City, NY

Letter Writing
Day: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Time: 5pm
Location: Daydream Collaborative Clinic, 544 Main St, Beacon, NY

ALL DAYS! Go add the community alter on the fence at Hasbrouck Park in New Paltz, NY!

Beacon Councilmember Paloma Wake Vocalizes Message Of Dissapointment To Congressman Pat Ryan During City Council Meeting

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During the November 13, 2023 City Council meeting, Beacon Councilmember Paloma Wake dedicated her Report session to an acknowledgement of the Israel-Palestine [war that escalated on October 7, 2023, in which she expressed her disappointment of Congressman Pat Ryan.

On November 27, 2023, while the Israel-Palestine war is in a ceasefire over the American Thanksgiving, she continued with her message. Unable to attend the City Council meeting that evening, she tapped Councilmember Justice McClain to read her words for her.

Her sentiment is published below in full:

“Apologies that I cannot join live tonight and Thank You to Councilmember McCray for conveying this portion of my report on my behalf:

“In follow up to my comments last week expressing disappoint with Congressman Pat Ryan’s censure of Congresswoman Tlaib and his prevailing rhetoric around the ongoing genocide in Palestine, I would like to share a summary of my comments to Congressman Ryan during a recent lobbying call which called for, among other things, an immediate Ceasefire or halt of hostilities in Palestine which is now tentatively in place and a call for a change in rhetoric that stops conflating calls for Palestinian freedom and critiques of Israeli apartheid with anti-Semitism which we all unequivocally condemn. We also called for him to condemn acts of Islamophobia & Palestinian genocide with the same vigor as his righteous condemnations of anti-Semitism.

“Congressman, I am speaking to you as a fellow elected official and from the City of Beacon which you have (rightly) invested a lot in, and you know is an active constituency in your district.

“You also know that your district includes the Indigenous, ancestral homelands of the Mohican, Lenape, Wappinger, and Mohawk people who either have diplomatic ties to or are a part of the Haudenosaunee confederacy, the longest running Democracy in the world, recognized by the UN and recognized by our founding fathers in their time as inspiration for our founding documents.

“It should not be lost on you that as officers of American Democracy, we must understand the lineage of settler-colonialism that built this country as it stands today and take into account our failures in that enterprise in current affairs, not repeating or perpetuating mistakes of the past.

“On one of the last days of Native American Heritage month, and days after the National Day of Mourning which recognizes the true history of the genocidal Dutch encounter with Native peoples in our region, I ask all Beaconites to reflect on the systems of power and control which separate us, as everyday citizens, from an honest relationship with the land. Our love of Mt Beacon, our appreciation of Fishkill Creek and all waterways that lead to the Mahicannituck (Hudson) River, and the wildlife that support these ecosystems all lead to the logical conclusion that non-Indigenous Beaconites like myself have a debt to pay to the land and to the generations who stewarded this land before us.”

The Interfaith Vigil For 240 Hostages That Wasn't Interfaith

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A candlelight vigil was held in Poughkeepsie at the Christ Episcopal Church on the evening of Thursday, November 16, 2023 in support of the 240 hostages being held by Hamas. Several speakers from different faiths spoke, including a Baptist leader.

“Interfaith” Vigil Did Not Include Imams or Priests

While the event was titled “Interfaith Candlelight Vigil In Solidarity With 240 Hostages Held In Gaza,” there were no Muslim Imams or Catholic Priests in speaking positions. A Little Beacon Blog reached out to Jesse Lunin-Pack, president of the Beacon Hebrew Alliance, to see if any Imams or Priests were invited to attend. He responded: “I'm afraid that my only role in planning the event was to request that it happen - so I'm not really sure how the speakers were invited and who was reached out to.”

With Jesse’s help, A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the organizer of the event, Karen Hochhauser, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County, with the same question. She did not respond.

The vigil was held in the dark, within a perimeter lined with white paper bags that had a candle inside of them and a name of a hostage printed on each bag. Poughkeepsie police were in attendance to direct parking.

Timing Of The Vigil Was During The Massacre Of Palestinian Civilians, Doctors and Nurses At Al-Shifra Hospital

During the vigil that was dubbed “interfaith,” was no mention of the Palestinians who are being buried under the rubble. This may have been the first vigil in the Hudson Valley region - 41 days after the hostages were taken. The majority of whom are Israeli, but there are other nationalities have been taken as well. It should be noted that 11,000 Palestinian children and adults have been killed as of this writing.

In the Al-Shifra hospital alone, there were 2,000 displaced people, 400 patients and 200 medical professionals. Several doctors and nurses were shot at by IDF in the Al-Shifa hospital. An Israeli spokesperson justified the killing when telling MSBNC, “You see a doctor? Anyone could be a Hamas.” And so now, medical professionals and families leaving the hospital are being targeted with snipers and shot to death.

On this day - November 16, 2023 - the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) confirmed that there were no hostages found in the Al-Shifa hospital, where IDF created mass death. The IDF has as of this writing woken up Al-Ahli Baptist hospital by surrounding it with Israeli tanks. Which is how the murders at the Al-Shifa Hospital started.

Oddly Timed Song Lyrics Read During Vigil

Karen, the organizer, read lyrics from a song, which sat oddly, being that this genocide is being done by one side to the other - Zionist Israeli genocide (funded and supported by the United States and other European nations) to the Palestinians. While she may have meant it as a way to sympathize with Jews, it landed with the opposite interpretation to someone listening who is supporting and defending Palestinian lives and Jewish lives from Zionists.

The lyrics of the song are as follows, and are read at minute 10 of the video below:

“You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught”
by Rogers and Hammerstein in South Pacific. The song was controversial in its time.

You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught from year to year,
It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear—
You’ve got to be carefully taught!

You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a different shade—
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate—
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
You’ve got to be carefully taught!

I was cheated before
And I’m cheated again
By a mean little world
Of mean little men.
And the one chance for me
Is the life I know best.

To be on an island
And to hell with the rest.
I will cling to this island
Like a tree or a stone,
I will cling to this island
And be free—and alone.

“You've Got to Be Carefully Taught” (Rodgers/Hammerstein II)
© 1949, Copyright Renewed, Williamson Music Company (ASCAP) c/o Concord Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Over 150 Jewish, Palestinian and Allies Protested Outside Congressman Pat Ryan's Office in Poughkeepsie On Oct 25th Demanding Ceasefire

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A group of Jewish, Palestinian and Allies protested outside of Congressman pat Ryan’s office in Poughkeepsie demanding a ceasefire, near the Vassar Campus. Despite the large “Space For Rent” sign, Pat Ryan’s office is apparently inside.

“This is not justice. Justice doesn’t mean vengeance, it means dignity and freedom for all, including Palestinians. MHVDSA condemns violence against civilians, whether by Hamas or Israeli forces, and we also firmly believe that Israel cannot bomb its way to peace.”
— Andrew Hiller, with MHVDSA

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, more than 150 Hudson Valley residents rallied outside Congressman Pat Ryan’s Poughkeepsie office, “calling on him to support Rep. Cori Bush’s CEASEFIRE NOW resolution, pressure Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and end U.S. funding of Israel’s war crimes,” according to a press release by the organizers. Led by Beacon resident and Beacon Hebrew Alliance member Dara Silverman, a delegation of Hudson Valley-based Jewish and Palestinian leaders met with Ryan’s staff and delivered a petition that had 523 signatures as of October 25th.

”We are filled with both sadness and anger. Sadness and anger that our beautiful country has come down on the side of genocide. Anger that our government pretends it is being done in the name of the Jewish people,” said Felice Gelman of Jewish Voice for Peace-Hudson Valley.

The group organized to reach Congressman Pat Ryan (representing New York’s 18th District) by marching to protest outside of his office, resulting in a meeting inside with Jewish and Palestinian representatives.

Congressman Ryan made his opinion known weeks prior, on X, formerly Twitter, when he reacted to the October 8th pro-Palestinian protest held in New York City the day after Hamas broke out of Gaza and attacked and killed 1,400 Israelis citizens, and took over 200 hostage. Congressman Ryan Tweeted on October 8: “Let’s be clear what happened yesterday: Hamas terrorists massacred hundreds of Israeli civilians, including women and children. They took dozens more hostage, including Holocaust survivors and American citizens. Jewish families around the world are still awaiting answers, wondering if their loved ones are alive. To know all this, and choose to hold a protest in New York City, home to the largest Jewish population in the United States, is blatant antisemitism.”

While for many in the world, this may have been an unexpected attack, there have been escalations on both sides occurring for decades, one most recent in May 2021 with the attempted eviction of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah. While murder of anyone is not justified, context is necessary in the occupation by Israel of Palestinians.

When the DailyFreeman reported that a Kingston family’s relatives were killed with children kidnapped in the October 7 Hamas attack, Congressman Pat Ryan Tweeted: “We are grieving alongside the entire Ulster County community for the Shnaider family. This is a devastating reminder that the atrocities committed by Hamas are being felt by communities not just in Israel, but across the United States. I’m receiving regular updates from the Defense Department on ongoing hostage recovery operations, and will not rest until all Americans get home safely.”

It has been 29 days since the 200+ Israeli hostages were taken by Hamas. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not secured their release. Instead, he, with the support of the United States, has bombed Palestinian civilian buildings, hospitals, ambulances, mosques, a church and other locations in search of Hamas. The Washington Post reports that as of November 2, at least 3,700 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli air strikes, in the newspaper’s article titled: “Gaza becomes ‘a graveyard for children’ as Israel intensifies airstrikes” Today, some Israeli citizens protested at Netanyahu’s home, calling him a “murderer” and expressed frustration at not knowing where the Israeli hostages were or what condition they were in, as Gaza is being reduced to rubble.

Pro-Palestinian Supporters outside of Congressman Pat Ryan’s office in Poughkeepsie near Vasser College Campus.

Back to the local protest in Poughkeepsie at Congressman Pat Ryan’s office on October 25th, the organizers stated in a press release: “1,400 Israelis and 5,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed since October 7th—how many more is enough?,” said Andrew Hiller, whose grandparents survived the Holocaust, and who spoke on behalf of Mid-Hudson Valley DSA. “Of those killed in Gaza, 40% were children. This is not justice. Justice doesn’t mean vengeance, it means dignity and freedom for all, including Palestinians. MHVDSA condemns violence against civilians, whether by Hamas or Israeli forces, and we also firmly believe that Israel cannot bomb its way to peace. An unfathomable number of lives have already been lost—we need an immediate ceasefire, and ultimately an end to Israeli apartheid.”

In this video, hear the words of Palestinian leader Sereen Jamal, who has spoken at other pro-Palestinian rallies, like this one in Newburgh in 2021 that marched to then Rep. Sean Maloney’s office.

The organizer of the October 25th Hudson Valley protest continued: “Veterans For Peace is an international organization composed of veterans from every war and peacetime back to the second world war. We know the horror of war,” said Tarak Kauff, former national board member of Veterans for Peace. “We have sent delegations to the West Bank to see with our own eyes Israel’s occupation and apartheid. We condemn the genocide now happening on the innocent people in Gaza on children on women and families. There is no excuse for it. Absolutely no excuse.” Read what Tarak has written about Israel as an occupier, and its military the IDF

“The Zionist State of Israel has betrayed the very essence of everything good and decent about being Jewish. Instead of being kind, compassionate and empathetic to the oppressed and dedicated to truth, Israel has become a most vicious oppressor. I saw Palestine children brutalized. They are killed on almost a daily basis. Children! Many are languishing in Israel prisons for throwing rocks at occupying soldiers or for just being suspected of that. Israeli soldiers often break into Palestinian houses in the dead of night, terrorize the family and arrest children. And there is no such thing as a fair trial. If you are arrested, you are guilty. Palestinians are considered vermin.”
— Tarak Kauff, Jewish, and Former National Board Member of Veterans For Peace

“It is absurd that we need to call for something as basic as a ceasefire. This isn't about who's right and who's wrong, this is about protecting innocents from further death and injury,” said Talal Jabari, Palestinian journalist and documentary filmmaker. “We are asking our representative to sign onto the Ceasefire Now resolution and be on the right side of history.”

“The call for a ceasefire is not a fringe stance held by a loud minority. In fact, recent polling shows that across party lines, the majority of Americans support a ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza; a view shared by an overwhelming majority of the United Nations Security Council. This widespread popularity is evident by the large turnout at today’s rally, by Palestinian and Jewish community members and others who stand for peace. Speakers of all backgrounds told personal stories, read poetry, and chanted “Ceasefire Now!”. When the group of representatives who met with Rep. Ryan’s staff finished the meeting, they shared that his office agreed to continue the conversation with the group. His office made no other commitments to ending this violence.”

As for other political leaders in the area, former Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro and current Congressman for the 19th District is staunchly supporting Israel and has made little acknowledgement for the loss of Palestinian lives, which as of today has passed 9,000 and consists of thousands of children. So far in his Instagrams, he refers only to Hamas, which is a dehumanizing tactic for Palestinians or Arabs and is Islamaphobic.

Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha called ‘to end Israeli occupation’ on Monday, while other Mid-Hudson Valley politicians stand behind Israel, as reported by the Daily Freeman.

In this video, Veekas Ashoka addresses the participants to update them on the meeting going on inside of Pat Ryan’s office with Jewish and Palestinian leaders.

In this video, Palestinian leader Raz Sadiq-Keyes (we are getting the confirmation of her name spelling) and Jewish leader Dara Silverman.