"... Elisa Thabateh, who was raised in Harrisburg but spends two months in Palestine every year visiting family, said she is thankful for those who are voicing their criticism of Israel.
Thabateh spoke during Sunday’s rally, calling on others to educate themselves and try to educate others. She, along with other advocates and community leaders prayed together and marched while chanting “Free Palestine” as they marched from the Capitol down State Street toward the river.
“For years and years, we’ve been begging to be heard and finally [there are] protests all over the country- No one has ever talked about Palestine this much,” Thabateh said.
She said it is a relief to see a different kind of acknowledgment of what is happening in her family’s country.
“Because this genocide, this ethnic cleansing, it’s been going on for so long,” she said. The violence is not something that has been going on for just weeks but is a continuation of decades of conflict.
Thabateh blames the American education system and worldwide media for not telling the truth about the situation in Israel...."
"...Another speaker at the event, Omar Mussa, said while he was working on
his masters in Palestine he saw the violence first-hand. He also sees
the greatest misconception from the states as the fight being “equal.”
“We don’t understand that the Israeli government, which is one of the most sophisticated armies in the world, that’s funded by the largest imperial army in the world, is fighting against civilians,” Mussa said.
So what can Americans do? Some have considered boycotting international companies that support Israel, but Mussa says it’s more important to persuade the U.S. government to withdraw funding from Israel.
Mussa said he believes it is time to vote people into office who will stand up and align themselves with the justice that he and advocates like him are standing up for.
“This is one of the worst atrocities that has happened in the history of humanity,” Mussa said. “You don’t have to be a Muslim, you don’t have to be a Christian, you don’t have to be Hindu or any other religion to know that this is a human issue.”...."
"...“We have the privilege of being able to actually speak,” Thabateh said. “They’ve been silenced. They’ve been silenced for 73 years.”..."
Palestinian supporters march in Harrisburg: ‘We’ve been begging to be heard’
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