Local opinion: Respect humanity and call for ceasefire

Re: the March 30 article “Keep Antisemitism out of Tucson.”

This guest opinion in the Daily Star is a distorted message from Jewish leaders. As a Jewish person, I am embarrassed for them. Beginning in December 2023, many members of the Tucson community — Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and non-religious — have spoken out in despair for and sympathy with the people of Gaza. We have acknowledged the horrendous acts of Oct. 7, called for both the hostages to be returned and permanent ceasefire by the Israeli government. The recent guest opinion by Tucson rabbis would have us believe that those in favor of this ceasefire are filled with hate, whereas we only demand respect for all human life created b’tzelem Elohim — in the image of God.

The people forming this coalition reflect all races and religions and span many sectors of the Tucson political community. Some of us have supported Israel in the past. We all understand that the murder of some 1,200 people on Oct. 7 was horrific, and the massacre of some 32,000 in Gaza will not bring them justice. Most of the dead in Gaza are people like us: regular people, leading regular lives, living with a government that many never had the opportunity to vote for and many never agreed with.

Israel does not have the right to defend itself by massacring innocent civilians. That is against both International and U.S. law. The United States has continued to provide Israel with weapons, using our tax dollars, although we have laws that stipulate that military aid cannot be used to violate human rights, or be sent to governments that prevent humanitarian aid from reaching war zones. Over 100 city councils around the country have called for our national representatives to stop enabling this slaughter. The Tucson City Council has not joined them.

What the City Council members know is that we have requested individual meetings and met with four of them. They have encouraged us to work with them to develop wording for a ceasefire resolution that would not be divisive. The South Tucson City Council passed such a resolution. In January, the Arizona Democratic Party passed such a resolution, and there are hundreds of other examples around the country. Our elected representatives in Tucson are the closest government officials we have. It is not outside their purview to represent us to the federal government.

Since December, we have had peaceful demonstrations and made meaningful comments during the “Call to the Audience” portion of the council meetings. We have been respectful of the council and tried our hardest at all times to be respectful of the process. Disruptions began 6 weeks later when those opposed to a ceasefire began harassing our coalition members, name-calling, interrupting our peaceful protests — and declaring us antisemitic for disagreeing with them.

Jews have different political beliefs, there are Jewish Republicans and Jewish Democrats. There are Jews who support the state of Israel, and others who do not. It is a sad day when the Jewish community, as small as it is in this world, cannot converse about our political differences. And that day is today.

I would agree that we need to keep HATE out of Tucson. Many Palestinians, like many people of color, would agree that there is hate in Tucson toward marginalized groups. However, I can attest, as a Jewish woman in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious coalition, that we are not an antisemitic group. There is nothing but empathy and respect for those of us who have friends and family suffering in Gaza and Israel today. Ceasefire Now!