San Jose State University students on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict held rallies on Monday.
SJSU students supporting Israel came together on campus on Monday to make kites expressing hopes for peace in the Middle East. They also came together to honor those killed during the Hamas attack on Israel one year ago, the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
The group said they are calling on the safe return of dozens of hostages including four Americans.
“The people in the hostage situation they can’t speak for themselves, and we are acknowledging that they are suffering. Their families are suffering. Everybody is suffering,” said Jennifer Hauth, president of Students Supporting Israel at SJSU.
San Jose resident Shahar Levi was born in Israel and lost friends during the attack that left more than 1,000 people dead.
“This day is one of the worst days of my life,” he said. “This last year has been one of the worst years of my life. I never thought that another holocaust could be that it could come, but now I understand it can.”
Less than a football field away an entirely different perspective on campus, as more than 80 SJSU students came together to speak out against deadly attacks on Palestinians
“We think it’s important to present the Palestinians voices. We don’t want them ignored in this discussion,” said John with the Students for a Democratic Society.
SJSU police kept a watchful eye on both events which remained peaceful.
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Marianne Favro has more in the video above.
