Protest led by Jewish American group IfNotNow demand White House pressure Israel to let more aid into territory<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than 40 people protesting the war and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza were arrested outside the Trump International hotel in New York<\/a> City on Monday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The protest, organized by IfNotNow, a Jewish-American anti-occupation group, had begun earlier in the evening at Columbus Circle. Hundreds gathered under the banner \u201cTrump: Jews Say No More\u201d to demand an end to the war in Gaza and that the Trump administration pressure Israel to allow greater humanitarian aid to enter into territory, as health officials there continue to report deaths<\/a> from starvation and malnutrition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s not mince words, the Israeli government\u2019s blockade of Gaza is a policy of ethnic cleansing by way of forced mass starvation,\u201d said Morriah Kaplan, IfNotNow\u2019s interim executive director, during her speech to the crowd. \u201cIt is an unbearable, unspeakable, unfathomable affront to our shared humanity and those who are carrying it out and are deploying our Jewish symbols, language and traditions to defend and justify it, which is why I\u2019m heartened to see such a range of Jews and Jewish organizations coming together today to say with one voice that we oppose these atrocities, not in spite of our Judaism<\/a>, but for many of us, because of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need the US government to use its considerable leverage to end these horrors,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Protesters held signs that read \u201cstop ethnic cleansing\u201d, \u201cnever again is now\u201d \u201cstop starving Gaza\u201d and \u201cnot in our name\u201d and speakers included Ruth Messinger, <\/strong>Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the T\u2019ruah CEO, and Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYesterday was the Jewish holiday of Tisha B\u2019Av in which Jews mourn the destruction of the people of Israel,\u201d Lander said, \u201cand what we\u2019re witnessing right now is destruction caused by the State of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIts been going on for many months,\u201d he added. \u201cBut to witness forced mass starvation, emaciated children and starving of families, on top of all the bombing and destruction and displacement, it is necessary for Jews to cry out louder, to do more organizing to make sure that we stop sending offensive weapons and bombs and guns that we demand an end to what Israel is doing in Gaza. That\u2019s why we\u2019re here tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also in attendance was Lily Greenberg Call,<\/a> a former special assistant to the chief of staff at the US Department of the Interior under the <\/strong>Biden-Harris administration who publicly resigned<\/a> in protest in May 2024 over the administration\u2019s handling of the war in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was the first, and unfortunately the only official Jewish official to publicly resign in protest of the administration\u2019s unconditional support for Israel during the war in Gaza,\u201d Greenberg Call said in an interview with Guardian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Greenberg Call said that she was noticing new people among the crowd protesting Israel\u2019s war in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is something shifting,\u201d she said. \u201cShowing up is really important, and our role as Americans especially \u2013 our government and our tax dollars are funding this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have an obligation, specifically as American Jews, to stand up against what\u2019s happening in our name,\u201d Greenberg Call added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n