Anti-war activists slam Jerusalem hostage rally for ignoring plight of Gaza’s civilians

Several protesters at the weekly Jerusalem rally for the release of the hostages being held by Hamas criticize the demonstration for failing to talk about the dire humanitarian situation facing the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza.

“Enough with genocide, enough with this pathos,” calls out Yoav Peck, a longtime anti-war activist.

Another woman shouts, “The time has come to cry out about something else.”

Organizers from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum try to quiet these protesters, but other demonstrators object, insisting they have a right to speak.

“This evening, I just lost my patience with the pathos. We need to stop the war in any way we can, and then begin to deal with the real problems we have here,” says Peck.

“Do you hear from the stage something about what is happening to the two million people in Gaza?” he demands, and alleges that the majority of those at the rally think it will be possible to go back to normal after the hostages are released.

“I am embarrassed about this. These are not the values I grew up on. These aren’t the values of my country, to ignore our neighbor, to behave as if we can make them disappear.”