TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As the Israel-Hamas war enters its sixth week, tens of thousands of people are on the National Mall in Washington D.C. to March with Israel and against rising antisemitism, including hundreds of Tampa Bay residents.
“We felt like it was very important for us to show our support to Israel,” said Mark Segel with Tampa Jewish Community Centers & Federation. “No more important time in history than what we’re looking at right here.”
Segel said the JCC, in partnership with Pinellas and Sarasota counties, chartered a plane to the nation’s capital.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog had this message for the demonstrators: “I vow to you from Jerusalem that we will heal we will rise again, and we will rebuild.”
Meanwhile in Tallahassee, the Florida Chapter of THE Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, is demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“We shouldn’t have to debate the lives of 5 million innocent people,” said Executive Director Abdullah Jaber.
Florida Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) had tried issuing a vote to call for a ceasefire during the special session last week.
“I had no choice but to do what was right and file a resolution in support in folks seeing the humanity of Palestinians,” said Rep. Nixon.
Nixon said 10,000 Palestinians had died in the conflict, and asked how many would be enough. A Republican lawmaker said “all of them.”
“The causes for a ceasefire by all parties must continue until the fighting ends,” said Rev. Dr. Russel Myer, Florida Council of Churches. “Our voices cannot be silenced until the guns are silent.”