BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — It’s been two weeks since Hamas militants attacked Israel and the conflict continues to intensify overseas. Today, I’m here on the home front of the Baton Rouge City Court where about a dozen peaceful protesters are standing and saying, “I stand with Israel.”
“Three Saturdays ago, something very, very terrible happened. And it has saddened and distressed the entire civilized world,” Yigal Bander, organizer said.
The Hamas terrorist attack on Israel left this group, so far away from the carnage. They had no choice, but to pray.
“Attacks on Israel, the terrorist attacks which murdered, tortured, mutilated and captured thousands of innocent Jews and others,” Bander said.
“We are just trying to stick up for our country and our land. This is not a religious thing, this is a human rights thing,” Sarah Saymeh, a Palestinian protester said.
“I stand with Israel,” Bander said. He thinks some people are publicly supporting the terrorist attack.
“People are actually demonstrating in support of the murders and against the existence of Israel,” said Bander.
“We’ve been dealing with this. Our people have been dying,” Halla Manna, a Palestinian protester said.
Sunday, a pro-Palestinian group protested near the Mall of Louisiana. Condemning the terrorist attack, but pointing out that more than 5,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza alone since the conflict started.
“We want them to cease fire. This hasn’t been happening for just Oct. 7. It’s been happening for 75 years,” Manna said.
But Tuesday, Bander said his group’s message is clear, despite the division this conflict is creating here at home.
“We are with the people of Israel,” Bander said.
