GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – As tensions continue to grow in the Middle East, so does an outpouring of support and opposition for each side. That was on display Friday night as roughly 30 demonstrators made their way to Leicht Park.
“You’ve had every single media news outlet — mainstream news outlet — cover it and kind of show support for Israel, and I just think that’s kind of whack,” Daniel Castillo said.
Castillo was one of the organizers of the Free Palestine Solidarity Rally. As part of the gathering, Castillo gave remarks, detailing what he says is the reality of the cause of the violence.
“The Palestinian perspective about why it is that the situation got so heated, what it is that people can do to show support for Palestinians, and why Zionism is a racist ideology,” Castillo said.
A much smaller group of counterdemonstrators also made their thoughts known.
“We want Palestine to be free as well, but we have seen in some of these rallies across the United States, that they have turned into anti-Semitic statements that have really just poured 100% of the blame on Israel, in a situation where there’s a lot of nuance,” Eric Drzewiecki said.
“I’d say that the state of Israel is inherently anti-Semitic because it says that Jewish people can’t live anywhere except for an apartheid state,” Castillo said. “I think Jews have a right and responsibility to live in their own countries.”
Drzewiecki was one of three people at Leicht Park publicly backing Israel. He believes neither side is entirely responsible.
“We just want to remind that the way to peace is the destruction and removal of Hamas — the extremist elements there. I truly don’t believe that the Palestinian people want Hamas in power anymore,” Drzewiecki said.
The demonstration is also in opposition to a decision made by Green Bay to light up city bridges blue and white — the colors of the Israeli flag.
“The flag of a country that’s just actively conducting bombing campaigns on innocent civilians,” Castillo said. “It’s just sad.”
“Two choices. We have either that Israel will be able to exist as a state or they won’t be able to exist anywhere,” Drzewiecki said. “And none of the neighboring countries would let Israelis immigrate there. So if they can’t be there, where can they be?”
Both sides did remain peaceful during their challenges.
Comments