Those planning to visit the Georgia State Capitol for its opening day Monday should take safety precautions. There is a pro-Palestine rally scheduled there beginning at 10 a.m. The rally will be at the east steps of the Capitol, 227 Capitol Ave. S.W. Atlanta.
The organizers of the rally are the Party for Socialism & Liberation Atlanta, according to information posted on Instagram. The group is opposed to Gov. Brian Kemp buying $10 million in additional Israeli bonds with state money. The latest buy brings a total of $25 million of Georgia’s investment in Israel.
The group is demanding the legislature end these types of investments for Israel and stated the ultimate goal is to end all federal dollars going into US aid to the Middle Eastern country.
“This is an egregious misuse of public taxpayer money to be funneled toward the US and Israel’s genocide of Palestinians,” the Instagram statement said.
State Rep. Matthew Gambill said he will continue to support Israel despite opposition.
“While I hate to see bloodshed in Israel I firmly hold to the Biblical and historical support for the Nation of Israel,” Gambill said in a statement.
The U.S. has long supported Israel as part of its Judeo-Christian ethic. It’s even been documented that the New World was seen by early European Jews as a place of refuge for them. It’s been suggested by some historical academics that wealthy Jews helped to fund Christopher Columbus’ voyage in hopes of finding a home for the ethnic group. Some of the first states had citizen rights specifically extended to Jews.
Pro-Palestine protestors have been out in force since the terrorist group Hamas directed a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7. They attacked the mostly defenseless citizens in border towns along the Gaza Strip for almost four hours before Israeli forces pushed back. Approximately 1,200 Israelis died in the initial attack.
News reports state that more than 22,700 people have been killed in the area since that day but numbers are unsubstantiated because they come from the Palestinian Health Ministry. Another 57,000 from both groups are reported injured with thousands more missing, presumed dead, or being held as hostages by Hamas.
Violence between Israel and nearby terrorists is no new but this time Hamas is also adding a political component. They said the October attack was because of Israeli-occupied land they believe is theirs and a blockage on the Gaza Strip. They also claim Israeli settlers are violent against Palestinians but offer no proof. Other issues are restrictions on the Palestinian movement and thousands imprisoned.