Jewish Calls for Peace in Gaza Raised in Washington's Capitol Hill

Protesters at the Capitol Hill demanding a ceasefire in Gaza (AP)
Protesters at the Capitol Hill demanding a ceasefire in Gaza (AP)
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Jewish Calls for Peace in Gaza Raised in Washington's Capitol Hill

Protesters at the Capitol Hill demanding a ceasefire in Gaza (AP)
Protesters at the Capitol Hill demanding a ceasefire in Gaza (AP)

The US Capitol Police arrested about 300 people protesting inside the main rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building, demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

The rally was organized by Jewish anti-Zionist groups, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and If Not Now.

They first gathered in the National Mall with a banner with red writing that said, "Our blood is the same color."

They waved Palestinian flags and raised posters that read, "My grief is not your weapon," "Never again for anyone," and "Zionism is racism."

Jews participating in the protests wore prayer shawls and kippots, young activists sporting tattoos and nose rings, and people in headscarves and Palestinian checkered black-and-white scarves.

- Genocide survivors

"We are here to say, 'Not in our name,'" Jay Saper said. "We are here as Jews — many descendants of survivors of genocide — to stop a genocide from unfolding in real-time."

Inside the House building, the protesters wore black shirts that said "Not in our name" on the front and "Jews say ceasefire now" on the back as they sang and cheered over police warnings to disperse.

A spokeswoman for JVP Sonya Meyerson-Knox said the crowd inside Cannon included 400 American Jews and 25 rabbis who are against Israeli occupation and are demanding that Congress pass a ceasefire resolution.

The Capitol Police said: "We warned the protestors to stop demonstrating, and when they did not comply, we began arresting them."

They said preliminary information shows about 300 people were arrested, including three on charges of assault on a police officer.

The demonstration comes amid protests across the Middle East following a strike on Tuesday's hospital in Gaza City that killed hundreds of people.

Palestinian and Israeli officials have traded blame for the blast at al-Ahli Hospital, which appeared to be the deadliest single strike on civilians in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began.

President Joe Biden adopted the Israeli accusation and expressed his support for Israel.

In the ten days following the Hamas attack on the Israeli settlements and kibbutzim surrounding Gaza, the Crowd Counting Consortium, an academic project tracking and sharing data on protests across the US, tracked more than 400 US vigils, rallies and protests in response to the war.

Roughly 270 of those events focused on backing Israel, while nearly 200 supported Palestinians.

The demonstration in the Capitol building is the second time this week where Jewish protesters were arrested while demanding a ceasefire.

On Monday, police arrested more than 30 people during a protest that included closing the entrances to the White House.

- "Long live Gaza!"

The protesters on Wednesday pointed to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where more than 2 million people live, about half of whom are children.

Israel has cut off access to food, water, electricity, and fuel, and as many as 1 million people were ordered to flee south as Israeli forces focused airstrikes on northern Gaza.

Speakers at the rally on the west side of the Capitol called for a ceasefire, while cars honked their horns in support and the crowd chanted, "Long live Gaza!"

From the podium, Democratic Representative Cori Bush said that she and her colleagues were described as "disgraceful" for introducing a ceasefire resolution.

"There is nothing repugnant or disgraceful about saving lives," Bush said.

"Our push for peace is working."

Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib also addressed her speech at Biden, who pledged during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would continue to support Israel.

"Not all Americans are with you on this one," Tlaib said of Biden, adding, "Americans want a ceasefire. They want it to stop."



Netanyahu Expected to Talk Tariffs with Trump in Washington on Monday, Officials Say

US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, US, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File photo
US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, US, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File photo
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Netanyahu Expected to Talk Tariffs with Trump in Washington on Monday, Officials Say

US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, US, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File photo
US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington, US, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File photo

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Monday to discuss recently announced tariffs with US President Donald Trump, three Israeli officials said on Saturday.

The impromptu visit was first reported by Axios, which said that if the visit takes place, the Israeli leader would be the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in person to try to negotiate a deal to remove tariffs.

Netanyahu's office has not confirmed the visit, that would likely also include discussions on Iran and Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

The surprise invite by Trump came in a phone-call on Thursday with Netanyahu, who is presently on a visit to Hungary, when the Israeli leader raised the tariff issue, according to the Israeli officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, Reuters reported.

As part of a sweeping new tariff policy announced by Trump, unspecified Israeli goods exports to the United States face a 17% tariff. The US is Israel's closest ally and largest single trading partner.

An Israeli finance ministry official said on Thursday that Trump's latest tariff announcement could impact Israel's exports of machinery and medical equipment.

Israel had already moved to cancel its remaining tariffs on US imports on Tuesday. The two countries signed a free trade agreement 40 years ago and about 98% of goods from the US are now tax-free.