Israeli Supporters Respond To Dearborn Protests, Gaza Violence

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(CBS DETROIT) – What would America do?

That's the question the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest is asking in response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"And I know what they will do. They will exercise the right for self-defense. This is what Israel is doing too. We're talking about 3,500 rockets that are rained upon our entire, I would say half the state of Israel," said Aviv Ezra, Consul General Of Israel To The Midwest.

Tuesday protesters rallied in Dearborn, as Arab-American residents brought claims of Palestinian oppression to American soil.

"This is the world that Palestinians live in. Always being silenced. Always being erased and we're here to say as Palestinians and Arabs we will not be erased. We will not be silenced," said Amer Zahr, New Generation for Palestine president.

But Israeli supporters say the conflict is not against the Palestinian people.

They say the issue is with Hamas, a group the consul describes as a terrorist organization.

The Consul General says Israel is responding in self-defense to threats and direct acts of violence from Hamas, a militant group of roughly 20,000 members.

"The Palestinian authority is much more moderate, by the way, not friends of Israel, but much more moderate and do not use means of violence whereas Hamas is using this means of violence and need to be condemned for that," said Ezra.

Ezra says he envisions a future of peace between two nations and hopes that a cease-fire agreement is met sooner than later.

"Israel today has five peace accords with Egypt, with Jordan, with the U.A.E., with Bahrain, with Morocco and many more in the pipeline. And how is that happening? Because these Arabs are moderate Arabs that don't want the annihilation of the state of Israel. Therefore today, the difference, the differentiation is not between Israelis and Arabs in the middle east. It is with radical and moderate. And I beg upon many of the friends we have in Detroit to stand strong with the moderate, not with the radical. Stand strong with those who want to progress peace," said Ezra.