For Immediate Release: November 21, 2023
Contact: sophie@jfrej.org, (718) 637-7659, press@socialists.nyc
Photos & video available here.
150+ NEW YORKERS PUBLICLY MOURN OUTSIDE REP. JERRY NADLER’S OFFICE, CALL FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE
Residents of New York’s 12th Congressional district gathered to mourn the deaths of Palestinians and Israelis, and demand that Rep. Nadler (D/NY-12) call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
New York, NY (November 21, 2023) – On Tuesday morning, 150+ constituents of Jerry Nadler gathered outside his lower Manhattan office to mourn the Palestinians and Israelis killed over the past six weeks, and urge their representative to join multiple fellow members of the New York Congressional delegation and call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The crowd, which included Jews, Muslims, and other people of faith, read a prayer for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Constituents left post-its with names of Palestinians killed in Gaza on the walls outside the building as a reminder of what is at stake while Rep. Nadler waits to call for a ceasefire.
“I came here today to urge Rep. Nadler to join me as a constituent and fellow Jewish New Yorker in calling for an immediate ceasefire,” said Rabbi Abby Stein, a member of Jews For Racial & Economic Justice, which helped organize the action. “The losses of the past six weeks are unbearable. With every minute that goes by, more and more Palestinians whose deaths could be prevented are bombed or crushed under buildings, and families of hostages wonder in desperation if their loved ones are still alive. We call on our congressman to support a hostage exchange, an immediate ceasefire, and a diplomatic solution to end occupation and apartheid once and for all.”
“This is an anti-war district, and we need our member of congress to represent us by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza,” said Liana Kallman, a constituent, and a member of the NYC chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, which also helped organize the action. “Since October 7, over 12,000 Palestinians have been killed, over 4,000 of those children, in nonstop airstrikes. The mounting death toll still remains unclear, with countless more Palestinians trapped and crushed under the rubble of bombed buildings.”
“This moment calls for clear moral leadership,” said Rabbi Esther Azar, who lives on the Upper West Side and is a member of Rabbis 4 Ceasefire. “Rep. Nadler has the opportunity to be such a powerful and courageous leader in this moment by signing onto Rep. Cori Bush’s ceasefire resolution, and taking moral action to make it clear that he sees and values the humanity of all people – Israeli and Palestinian. Nothing could be more in line with Jewish values than doing everything possible to save lives.”
“I’m a Jewish constituent of Rep. Nadler’s,” said Julia Jaffe, a member of IfNotNow New York City, which helped organize the event. “I remember when the Muslim Ban was instated, he was among the first members of Congress to speak out, and I appreciated his leadership. I hope to see him step up and lead now by calling for an immediate ceasefire.”
“For the last month, tens of thousands of New Yorkers have been demanding that our representatives call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” said India Kennedy, a member of NYC-DSA, which also helped organize Tuesday morning’s action. “After 1,200 Israeli deaths and more than 12,000 Palestinian deaths — an unspeakable toll that mounts each day the U.S. continues funding and fueling these atrocities — Rep. Nadler has yet to call for a ceasefire. An immediate ceasefire is the only way to save the lives of 2.3 million Palestinians and 240 Israeli hostages.”
The demand for a ceasefire has grown exponentially popular as the Palestinian death toll continues to climb, with horrific images and video footage coming out of Gaza. Over 40 members of Congress have come out in support of an immediate ceasefire, including three Jewish members: Reps. Balint, Raskin, and Jacobs.
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ABOUT NYC-DSA: New York City Democratic Socialists is the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America—the largest socialist organization in the United States with over 85,000 members. NYC-DSA is run by its 6,000+ members and activists who are working together to build a democratic socialist organization in the five boroughs.