James Packard
More protests at US Capitol, White House amid Israel-Hamas conflict
Demonstrators gathered in Washington again on Friday, as they have in cities across the globe, as Israel hammers Gaza in its fight against Hamas.
LEARN MOREPosted: 8:06 p.m. EDT Oct 20, 2023
Calls for peace are growing louder amid intensifying demands for further action from the White House. Inside the U.S. Capitol building this week, rabbis were among those arrested as a group took over the rotunda, demanding the U.S. broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
In New York, there was a massive gathering calling for Hamas’ release of all hostages.
"They dragged 200 innocent Israelis into the hell of Hamas captivity, so that their crime against humanity could continue every day," said Elan Carr, CEO of the Israel American Council.
Meanwhile in Illinois, Palestinian Americans grew angry at a vigil for a Palestinian American boy killed in what police say was a hate crime.
As protesters demand more aggressive action from the White House, administration officials are urging calm. A recent explosion at a Gaza hospital was initially blamed on Israel, which later blamed the group Palestine Islamic Jihad — illustrating the need, they say, for calm in the fog of war.
"I think this is a cautionary note for governments in the region, frankly, for press in responding to each and every twist and turn in this conflict. And there'll be more of these to come. It is important that people do not react immediately, or overreact immediately to first reports in a time of war," said Jon Finer, the principal deputy national security adviser.
Still, competing narratives of the conflict are even causing legal sparring. Starbucks and a union representing its workers are suing each other over the union’s social media posts in support of Palestinians.
Union leaders say it was put up without authorization and are suing Starbucks for defamation – for suggesting they support terrorism, they say. It's an acrimonious face-off in the midst of overwhelming calls for peace.
