SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Calls for peace in the Middle East have intensified following last week’s ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Protestors rallying outside of the federal courthouse in Springfield had one message for congressional leaders: they want the United States’ actions in the Middle East to align with findings of the ICJ ruling.
That ruling has found that it’s plausible Israel has committed “genocidal” acts in Gaza. As part of a state-wide effort by the MA Peace Action, protestors gathered outside of Congressman Richard Neal’s office at the Springfield courthouse to voice their feelings on the ruling, asking lawmakers to stop sending weapons to Israel and provide increased aid to Gaza.
“The fact that we are contributing to something that could be considered genocidal is horrible for the U.S. government. We hope that this collective show of force is at least going to wake our representatives up to the fact that there are people across the state who do not appreciate that you have… your silence has been absolutely deafening,” said Mehlaqa Samdani, Community Alliance for Peace & Justice.
Just this week, U.S. officials reported that the U.S. is considering slowing weaponry deliveries to Israel in an effort to convince the Israeli-government to scale back its attack on the Gaza strip.
Congressman Neal has previously voiced his opinion that Israel has a right to defend itself but has stopped short of condemning what many are calling a genocide in Gaza. 22News did reach out to Congressman Neal’s office for comment on Tuesday’s rally but did not hear back as of news time.
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Kaelee Collins is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Kaelee on X @kaelee_collins and view her bio to see more of her work.
