A protest and march against the conflict in Lebanon and Gaza is scheduled for this afternoon in Albany.
Nearly a year after hundreds died in the Hamas attack on the Supernova music festival in Israel, the fallout has resulted in military action in Gaza and more recently Lebanon.
Eyad Alkurabi of Albany’s Palestinian Rights Committee co-organized this evening's march.
"This is a local march... members of the Palestinian community, members of the Lebanese community, will do our best to be there, sais Alkurabi. "We are busy people, but we will show up and demand accountability and demand a weapons embargo, which is we're marching from Townsend Park all the way to Tonko's office."
Alkurabi is calling on 20th district Congressman Paul Tonko to support Senator Bernie Sanders Joint Resolutions of Disapproval introduced this week to block the sale of more than $20 billion in offensive U.S. weaponry to Israel.
Congressman Tonko’s office responded to a request for comment by email, stating Tonko has publicly expressed his concerns about the continued delivery of offensive weapons to Israel without a firm agreement for a ceasefire and return of hostages. He continues to assert that the only path forward to prevent further devastation and loss of life is an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
Alkurabi says the Palestinian people have long-suffered, and those in Lebanon face urgent peril as Israel’s foray against Iran-backed Hezbollah in the south grows. He hopes the community will turn out for today's gathering.
"I wanted to make point blank," Alkurabi said, "This has nothing to do with religion, because Palestinians lived freely amongst each other when they had different religions and different ethnicities within the Palestinian ethno-state as a collective democracy, as a collective culture, when it was known as the land itself, Palestinians lived together side by side, regardless of religion. This has nothing to do with religion. This has anything to do with supremacy, white supremacy and colonialism, We will be having many people of the Jewish faith will be standing shoulder to shoulder. They're going to be sit down. There's going to be with us through and through."
As the Biden administration says it’s working overtime to push for a Gaza ceasefire and to avoid an all-out war on the Lebanese border, fellow PRC-member Jacob Feinland is disheartened by the growing destruction in the region.
"It's just weird to see so many people embrace Israel just because many people there share the same religion as them, instead of looking to and identifying with an oppressed people and a people who are having their rights severely restricted, the Palestinians," Feinland said.
Laura George with Upper Hudson Valley Code Pink is saddened by the conflict. "I am a mother and a healthcare worker, and it really hit me hard seeing families and children and healthcare workers being targeted repeatedly in Gaza and now the West Bank, and then Lebanon, and we can't stay silent when that's happening," said George.
Sohaib Chekima, Executive Director of UMAA (United Muslim Alliance of Albany), responded to a request for comment via email, saying in part the organization stands in solidarity with the people of Lebanon.
The rally and march begins at 5.
