Hundreds of Minnesota Jews call on Sen. Klobuchar to support cease-fire in Gaza
MINNEAPOLIS — Hundreds of Minnesota Jews are calling on Sen. Amy Klobuchar to support a cease-fire in Gaza. A group gathered at Gold Medal Park in Minneapolis for chants and prayers, before marching to the senator's office and protesting outside Monday morning.
Some also went inside to deliver an open letter with more than 300 signatures calling for de-escalation, humanitarian aid and a cease-fire in Gaza.
The effort is being led by a number of Jewish organizations, including Jewish Voice for Peace.
They said even though the conflict is happening thousands of miles away they can still do their part to help prevent even more innocent people from dying.
They said the senator's support is crucial with a looming land invasion in Gaza and young Jews need to speak up.
"There's absolutely more support for a free Palestine among young Jews, but as you can see from the crowd it's pretty diverse in age, so we're hoping that the young Jews, the Jewish future are here to show the Jewish community at large that we need to end our complicity and these war crimes that are happening in our name," said Nat El-Hai, of Jewish Voice for Peace.
"This is such a difficult time in the Middle East. We mourn the loss of innocent life. Our office truly appreciated hearing the views of those who gathered today." Jane Meyer, Spokesperson for Senator Klobuchar, said in a statement to WCCO.
Israel says "currently no cease-fire" agreed for foreigners to flee Gaza
Israel's government denied reports that it had agreed to a cease-fire in at least part of the Gaza Strip to allow humanitarian aid in and people with international passports to escape into Egypt, as the Israeli military continues hammering the Hamas-controlled enclave with missiles today.
This comes amid some reports that a deal had been brokered to enable foreign nationals massing near Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt — along with thousands of Palestinian civilians — to flee.
More than a week after Hamas launched its bloody terror rampage in southern Israel, killing some 1,400 people and capturing almost 200 hostages, Israel was still preparing Monday for a widely expected ground offensive in Gaza. Already, Gaza officials say Israel's bombardment has killed at least 2,802 people and wounded more than 10,000 others, with a majority of the casualties being women and children.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has vowed to destroy the Palestinian group, and President Biden told CBS News' 60 Minutes that Israel can and must "go after Hamas," but he warned that a full occupation of Gaza would be "a big mistake," and the U.S. has called repeatedly on Israel to do everything possible to minimize civilian casualties.
