(Photo/Fight Back! News/Ashley Taylor- Gouge)
BY ED FELIEN
Shir Tikvah, one of the more progressive synagogues in the Twin Cities, says,
“We represent a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences regarding Israel/Palestine. We are dedicated to the value of B’tzelem Elohim (the sacredness of all human life). We lift our collective voice to support, advocate, and pray for an immediate ceasefire by all parties and the end to all hostilities in Israel/Palestine, including:
The immediate release of all hostages;
The unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza;
The restoration of food, water, electricity and medical supplies into Gaza;
The return of people displaced since October 7 to their homes, and assistance in rebuilding destroyed homes and infrastructure;
Respect for International Law and the Geneva conventions;
A negotiated resolution that honors justice, freedom, security, and self-determination for all innocent people.”
The Star Tribune reported, “Almost all faith leaders are working overtime to help their communities cope with news of violence and death, while searching for the prayers and blessings that might give comfort.”
In March of last year, Senators Amy KIobuchar and Tina Smith signed a letter with 17 other Senators urging President Biden to recognize a nonmilitarized Palestinian state.
In April of last year, at Columbia University, Ilhan Omar said “all Jewish kids” should be kept safe, no matter which side they were on in the debate.
The Anti-Defamation League reported that in 2024 “antisemitic incidents in the United States rose for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 9,354 total incidents—the highest level ever recorded in the 46-year history of ADL’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents.
“Hundreds of incidents emerged from white supremacist groups’ anti-Israel activity, with Patriot Front racking up the most mentions.”
Patriot Front defines itself as an organization of “American nationalists,” justifying its hate and intolerance under the guise of preserving America’s identity as a “Pan-European nation.”
Last year, on April 20, over 350 pro-Palestine demonstrators rallied at Bryant Square Park in the Minneapolis Uptown neighborhood for the first large scale march initiated by the Minnesota chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and the Arab Student Association at the U of MN.
About Jewish Voice for Peace: “Like generations of Jewish leftists before us, we fight for the liberation of all people. As the largest Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world committed to Palestinian liberation, we work to answer the call of our Palestinian partners to build a mass movement of Jews that can effectively interrupt the support of American Jewish Zionist institutions and the U.S. government in sustaining Israeli settler-colonialism, occupation, and apartheid.
“On Monday December 16th, 2024, Temple Israel in Minneapolis, the largest Jewish synagogue in Minnesota, was vandalized in an act of antisemitic hatred. Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Twin Cities sends love, chizzuk (strength) and ruach (spirit) to the congregation of Temple Israel and all affected.
“Antisemitism – the hatred of Jews for simply being Jewish – is something that has a long history in Minnesota.
“JVP Twin Cities stands in solidarity with everyone impacted by racist violence and oppression. White supremacy and Christian nationalism hurt all of us. From Minneapolis to Palestine, nobody anywhere should ever have to wake up to symbols of hate, or acts of violence, in the places they worship and call home. We know that antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism are intertwined and so our movements to stop them must be too.
“We are proud to be Jewish. Respect for our neighbors and treating others as we expect to be treated are core Jewish values.”
