Springfield organizations condemn continued violence in Gaza, call for ceasefire

It's been nearly a month since the start of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, one of the deadliest since Hamas took power in 2006.

This week, President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken both spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about "concrete steps" to minimize civilian deaths in Gaza, to secure the release of more hostages, and to increase the amount and access to humanitarian aid in the region. However, many people feel that anything short of a ceasefire is not enough.

As thousands of people prepared to march in Washington, D.C., on Saturday demanding the "U.S. end aid to Israel," rallies continued in Springfield. The Party for Socialism and Liberation planned to host its third "Free Palestine" rally on Friday, with additional protests scheduled for Nov. 10 and Nov. 17, according to the group's Facebook page.

More: Amid Israel conflict, increased Islamophobia, Springfield Islamic center considers safety

According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health, the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 9,000 people, including more than 3,600 children.

Since the war began, more than 1,400 Israelis have died, most of them civilians killed in the first hours of Hamas' surprise attack.

In a statement, the Islamic Center of Springfield, Missouri, expressed concern over the continuing violence and the United States government's lack of action.

Their full statement is included at the end of this article.

"We urge our representatives in Congress to stand up for what is right. We implore the President of the United States to represent our country as it deserves to be represented on the world stage; by unequivocally standing against these violations of international law committed under the Israeli occupation, and to demand an immediate halt to these atrocities," the statement said. "We demand that ongoing aid to Israel worth billions of dollars be rescinded in light of its actions. And last but not the least, we urge our fellow Americans to uphold the values of kindness, decency and humanity by speaking up against occupation and the crimes of Israeli governments against humanity."

The ICSM cited the continued bombing of civilian areas as well as the climbing death toll as their impetus for speaking out.

From Oct. 10: 'Great trauma for the American Jewish community': Springfield reacts to war in Israel

"While we condemn any sort of violence, and that includes violence on October 7th, we do not see how an occupation force that besieges more than 2 million people in an open-air prison, called Gaza, should be allowed to bomb mercilessly and indiscriminately this defenseless and encircled small area with total destruction of houses, refugee camps, schools, Mosques, Churches and even hospitals; all in the name of self-defense. More than 9,000 Palestinians, more than half of them children, have been massacred," the statement said. "We cannot turn a blind eye to this suffering. We believe that if we do not speak up now, we will leave stains on our collective conscience for eternity."

Temple Israel, Springfield's synagogue, directed the News-Leader to its previous statement when asked for comment on the pro-Palestine rallies in Springfield: "Temple Israel of Springfield, Missouri, firmly stands against all acts of hatred and violence. We unequivocally condemn the divisive forces of hatred and injustice that would perform, condone or encourage any acts of bias, discrimination, abuse, harassment, threats, defacing of property, or violence. Such acts do not represent the values of our faith, nor do they further the essential tenets of our democracy. We believe that all people should be treated with dignity and given a full and fair opportunity to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without fear or intimidation."

Full statement from Islamic Center of Springfield, Missouri

"In light of continued humanitarian catastrophe in Middle East, our community grieves for the ongoing loss of innocent life. As this tragedy continues to unfold in the Middle East, Muslims in America face rising Islamophobia. The rising Islamophobia and antisemitism are putting the harmony of our communities at risk here in the US and across the globe. Muslim community here in Springfield continues to witness these developments with great concern and anxiety and have concerns for our own safety. However, we believe that speaking up against the evils of oppression is a duty of all people of conscience. Thus the Islamic Center wishes to make this statement, which at the same instance is an appeal as well; an appeal to our fellow countrymen and to our government.

"We are disappointed by the discourse in United States that minimizes the oppression of innocent men, women and children in Gaza in the name of Israel’s right to defend itself. While we condemn any sort of violence, and that includes violence on October 7th, we do not see how an occupation force that besieges more than 2 million people in an open-air prison, called Gaza, should be allowed to bomb mercilessly and indiscriminately this defenseless and encircled small area with total destruction of houses, refugee camps, schools, Mosques, Churches and even hospitals; all in the name of self-defense. More than 9000 Palestinians, more than half of them children, have been massacred. We cannot turn a blind eye to this suffering. We believe that if we do not speak up now, we will leave stains on our collective conscience for eternity.

"We believe that the United States is a force for good in the world when it works for peace to prevent hostilities and violations of human rights. We demand that our government use all re-sources at its disposal to enforce an immediate ceasefire and commencement of serious and meaningful peace talks. This inhumane, indiscriminate and collective punishment of a defense-less people should be stopped immediately. Palestinians are being deprived of water, food and medicines. They are imprisoned and surrounded while bombs rain down on them. They are evicted from their land, denied freedom, and are deprived of basic human rights and dignity. The plight of the Palestinians has become the litmus test for humanity. And making excuses for those who commit crimes against humanity is not the American way.

"We urge our representatives in Congress to stand up for what is right. We implore the President of the United States to represent our country as it deserves to be represented on the world stage; by unequivocally standing against these violations of international law committed under the Israeli occupation, and to demand an immediate halt to these atrocities. We demand that ongoing aid to Israel worth billions of dollars be rescinded in light of its actions. And last but not the least, we urge our fellow Americans to uphold the values of kindness, decency and humanity by speaking up against occupation and the crimes of Israeli governments against humanity."

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield Islamic center calls for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war