At UCLA, a few demonstrators are genuinely promoting peace

By Rob Eshman
The Forward
May 1, 2024

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"...When I look at the protests and counter-protests taking place at UCLA and around the country, I can't see myself standing with either group...

"But I can see myself standing with a Palestinian-Canadian woman named Zahra Sakkejha.

"She and about 25 members of the LA support group for Standing Together, an Israeli social movement of Jews and Arabs demanding political and social equality and reconciliation, constituted a small, third group at UCLA protests over the weekend.

"She and her peers wore purple T-shirts and held signs that read, 'Free the Hostages,' 'Ceasefire Now,' ''Diplomacy Now,' and 'Not One More Drop of Blood!' They chanted, 'In Gaza, in Tel Aviv, all the children want to live!'

"The sheer audacity of caring about both sides created a constant cognitive dissonance among the protesters they encountered..."

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