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Westwood demonstrators pray for end to Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip

By Jeong Park

July 26, 2014 12:09 a.m.

A couple hundred demonstrators rallied in front of the Federal Building in Westwood Friday afternoon, the third protest in three weeks calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of and attacks on the Gaza Strip.

While the conflict has been going on for years, Israel’s latest major offensive on the Gaza Strip amid Hamas’ rocket attacks on Israel have provoked a series of demonstrations from both sides of the conflict in Westwood in recent weeks.

American Muslims for Palestine and the Muslim Students Association West organized the rally, which followed the prayer session that Muslims hold every Friday around noon.

Taher Herzallah, West Coast regional director for American Muslims for Palestine, said the organizations chose to hold the protest Friday because it was a holy day – the last Friday in the month of Ramadan. To Muslims, Ramadan is considered a holy month, during which they fast and refrain from drinking water while the sun is out.

“We want to increase our chances (of getting our prayers accepted) and capacity of prayers accepted (by God),” Herzallah said.

After the prayer, protesters gathered on the sidewalk and repeated several chants, such as “yes to humanity in Gaza now” and “Gaza, Gaza, never cry.”

In the latest development of the conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Egypt to negotiate a cease-fire. Though an agreement hasn’t been reached for a long-term cease-fire, Hamas and Israel announced Friday that they will cease fire for 12 hours on Saturday for humanitarian purposes as called for by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, according to media reports.

Dylan Schwayne, 29, came to the protest in support of Palestine even though he is Jewish. He said in order to develop long-term peace, he thinks both sides should come to a long-term cease-fire. Schwayne said he thinks Israel first has to give up its blockade on the Gaza Strip, as called for by Hamas, to give people in Gaza more economic freedom.

“There’s only one way to find out (if Hamas’ demands work),” Schwayne said. “That’s to try.”

After Israel started launching ground troops into Gaza last week, casualties have mounted mostly on the Palestinian side. Since July 17, when Israel officially launched its ground assault, about 850 Palestinians and 40 Israelis have died, according to the New York Times. Palestinian officials have said that most people killed were civilians.

Some are trying to organize a pro-Palestinian protest by Westwood’s Federal Building on Sunday, according to Gary Yeritsian, a doctoral student in sociology and a member of Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA.

Compiled by Jeong Park, Bruin senior staff.

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