Fearing for family in Gaza, West Bank, Palestinian-Americans in SC rally in Greenville

Continents away from his family in the West Bank, amid rising death tolls in the Middle East, Palestinian-American Sharif Aljoaba spends every waking hour mourning the devastation that has engulfed his homeland.

On Sunday, Oct. 22, in the heart of downtown Greenville, the 39-year-old engineer waited to cross the road with signs in his hands. A traditional Palestinian scarf and a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, the keffiyeh, hung over his shoulders as he made his way to the Peace Center, where over 100 Palestinian and Arab-Americans gathered to call for a cease-fire and the end of Israel-led blockades in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and West Bank.

"Yesterday morning, a mosque in Jenin got targeted and two got killed," Aljoaba said, watching people arrive. "There is no safe place."

Since Oct. 7, tensions between Israelis and Palestinians crested a new flashpoint when Hamas, a militant group located primarily in Gaza, attacked military bases and border towns in Israel. In return, the Israeli government retaliated with airstrikes to weed out militancy.

SC Jewish leaders: Praying for friends, family in Israel as fighting with Hamas continues

The hostilities have claimed over 4,000 lives in Palestinian and Israeli areas, so far, with a majority of the deaths recorded in Gaza — a narrow strip of land of just over 140 square miles and home to nearly 2.3 million Palestinians.

The United Nations and World Health Organization released a joint statement, Oct. 21, calling for a ceasefire and the promise of safe passage for humanitarian aid in Gaza, which is currently suffering a public health crisis due to a shortage in drinking water and destroyed essential services. The latest strife has also resulted in a staggering rise in hate speech against Jewish and Muslim communities.

President Joe Biden flew to Israel last week to highlight America's unequivocal support for Israel and recently called for over $100 billion worth of aid for Israel and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, South Carolina leaders such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Tim Scott and former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley have reaffirmed stances that aligned with a recent Quinnipiac University Poll where three-quarters of American voters thought supporting Israel was in the national interest of the United States following the Oct. 7 attack.

However, 85% said they are concerned that the conflagration between Israel and Hamas will intensify into a regional war in the Middle East.

But Palestinians and their supporters in the Upstate said the unfettered American support for Israel was evidence that their voices will continue to remain unheard. At the Oct. 22 rally, children sang chanted slogans advocating for freedom and protestors handed out pamphlets printed with history of the bloodshed.

"Having this occupation is the root cause of all this violence. It has to end. But for now we need to cease fire and stop the genocide against civilians," Aljoaba said.

In the face of political support for Israel, both adults and children implored the local community in the Upstate to expand their lens beyond the events of Oct. 7 and make room for history from the perspective of Palestinians who were displaced after the state of Israel was created.

"Both, Jews and Palestinians have a legitimate religious and historical claim to the Holy Land, but neither one has an exclusive claim," Akan Malici, a professor of international affairs and conflict studies said. "The way it has played out, however, is in an exclusive way. It comes to the benefit of one people and to the detriment of another people."

Tensions boil as Israel-Hamas war rages: How do Jewish, Muslim Americans find common ground?

Palestinian-Americans say Biden's response to crisis disappointing

Aljoaba grew up in Hebron city in the West Bank where military checkpoints between Palestinian towns and raids become a part of daily life. Though much of the attention is centered around Gaza, Israeli airstrikes have also targeted parts of the West Bank.

Biden said Monday the U.S. would not push for a ceasefire until Hamas released 200 hostages, including Americans. Top officials said any talks of a ceasefire would undermine Israel's right to self defense.

"Biden administration announced unconditional support (to Israel) with all kinds of weapons, even sending forces and warships," Aljoaba said. "Definitely, a lot of (Palestinian-Americans) who have voted for the current administration feel betrayed."

For Mohammad Farhan, 44, it ultimately boiled down to what Palestinians truly believed.

"We don't support Hamas or what Hamas did," Farhan said. "All (Palestinians) are trying to do is exist. That's all they're trying to do."

Farhan said he had family in Gaza he couldn't reach. He feared for their well-being and felt helpless that he couldn't send them aid. When he did connect with his relatives, he was immediately inundated with videos of blown-up churches and residential buildings.

"It's very, very heartbreaking," Farhan said.

Calls for ceasefire have also begun a conversation about media literacy and representation — concepts that Arab-Americans said have long been ignored.

"Muslims are still to recognize that they must play a larger role in academia, education and the media," Malici said in an email, adding that only then will it allow Muslims to counter their stigmatization and devaluation.

Protestors: Representation can help counter dehumanization

Greenville County resident Sarah Fooshang, 29, came with her daughter to support Palestinians calling for a ceasefire.

"The last few weeks have really felt devastating to see what's happening to the children that are getting killed, and I have my own children," she said. "I can't imagine waking up every day and not be able to wait for everything to be right."

As the rally began to come to a close, five Muslim men set up four prayer mats and a Palestinian flag after the crowd dispersed. Their heads bowed, they prayed for peace.

Yaser Alnasser, 59, couldn't help but contemplate life in Gaza.

"This blockade around Gaza has been going on for almost 17 years," Alnasser said. "So when you put someone in the corner for 17 years, sometimes they end up doing desperate actions."

With no job prospects and no place to go, Alnasser said people in Gaza felt that they had no future.

"It doesn't matter how hard work you work, or how smart you are. You are not going anywhere because it's not in your control," he said.

Devyani Chhetri reports on SC politics for the Greenville News. Reach her via email at dchhetri@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: SC Palestinian-Americans rally in Greenville for a ceasefire in Gaza