MINNEAPOLIS — Both Jewish and Palestinian Americans in Minnesota say their communities struggle to comprehend the complexity of a war with multiple truths, especially when some of those truths are hard to accept.
For Minnesota’s Jewish community, there are many strong emotions.
“It is so unsettling and upsetting,” said Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman, senior rabbi for Temple Israel Minneapolis. “So that is first and foremost. We are in a collective state of mourning and grief.”
Zimmerman has a cousin teaching near the Gaza border who narrowly escaped Hamas’ violence.
“So many of her students are not returning to school — they are murdered. So many of her colleagues, so many of the parents,” said Zimmerman. “So much has been taken away from the Jewish community and Israelis, but I won't let the terrorists take away my humanity. Any innocent civilians on either side — Palestinians, Israelis — caught in the crossfire is just horrendous and horrible.”
“People are just still in shock,” said Sami Rahamim with the Jewish Community Relations Council. “That really is our challenge, is how can we hold all of these very difficult truths at the same time that there are innocent civilians in Gaza, who are suffering at the hands of Hamas. And that there are civilians in Israel who are just terrified and shattered after the brutality that was experienced on Saturday?"
Palestinian American Kevin Aldwaik said his family living in the West Bank has suffered from oppression from Israel for years.
“People need to understand that the average Palestinian person here is living in hell on a daily basis,” said Aldwaik.
He is stuck there since he was visiting his family when Hamas began their attack.
“The unjustifiable violence that I saw on the day of the attack is... I can't watch this," he said.
But, he says Palestinians, don’t deserve to go through this pain.
"I have my parents, my brothers, my sisters, my uncles living through this," said Aldwaik. "I'm telling you, my family members are not Hamas members. Why should they live like this?"
Taher Herzallah is a Palestinian American and part of the Minnesota for Palestine Coalition and American Muslims for Palestine.
He says family members are fleeing from the northern part of Gaza.
"There are elderly people who need to be on wheelchairs and taken care of in special vehicles," said Herzallah. "With the aerial bombardment, destroying the civilian infrastructure in Gaza, the streets, the roads are all damaged."
Those with family members affected by both sides of the conflict say there was so much history before the Hamas attacks last weekend, that's further driving the emotions folks are feeling right now.
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