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Israeli Palestinian Protests Washington State - USAGM
October 9, 2023
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Israeli Palestinian Protests Washington State
HEADLINE: Tensions high as Israeli and Palestinian expats clash at rivaling rallies
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: Monday, 10/09/2023 at 05:39 EDT
BYLINE: Natasha Mozgovaya
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Kirkland, Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: Natasha Mozgovaya
VIDEO EDITOR: Natasha Mozgovaya
ASSIGNING EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: pcd
VIDEO SOURCE: VOA
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV x__ RADIO __x
TRT: 2:49
VID APPROVED BY: pcd
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[Tensions ran high as Israeli and Palestinian expats participated in rival rallies in Washington state. Natasha Mozgovaya reports from Kirkland.]]
((NARRATOR))
Two rallies faced off Sunday in Kirkland, Washington. Israeli expats came to support their country in its war on Hamas following the attack carried out at dawn Saturday.
Pro-Palestinian rally participants came to express support for Gaza and what they said is the ‘Palestinian right for resistance.’
Tensions flared, with Israeli protesters accusing opposing rally participants of supporting terrorists.
((NATS Israeli protester shouting))
“Exactly like them! Exactly like them!”
((NARRATOR))
Local police used paintball guns and pepper spray irritant to disperse the clashing parties that eventually settled on opposite sides of a road.
((NATS Palestinian protesters chanting))
“From the river to the sea Palestine will be free!”
((NATS Israeli protesters singing Hatikva anthem))
((NARRATOR))
Pro-Palestinian rally participants carried posters demanding release of all Palestinian prisoners and decrying U.S. military aid for Israel.
Participants in the pro-Israeli rally, displaying flags of Israel and the United States, carried posters with images of victims of Hamas’ attack. Some said they were shocked to see anyone in the United States openly supporting those who deliberately killed and kidnapped whole families.
((Ofek Bashari, Pro Israeli rally participant))
“They want us dead. They just want us dead. They don't want peace. They don't want nothing. // They were planning this attack for many, many months back now. They just were waiting. We have more than 800 people dead. 200 people kidnapped. Elderly people, kids, babies, women.”
((NARRATOR))
Ofek Bashari said taking part in events in support of Israel is something that helps the community shaken by the tragedy hold together.
((Ofek Bashari, Pro Israeli rally participant))
“I feel terrible. I feel that this is the only thing I can do from being far away from my family and my friends. We have family that's captured by Hamas. We have all our friends that are all right now are in the in the army. They're going and it's just insane. What's going on over there is insane.”
((NATS Palestinian male chants))
“We want 1948!”
((NARRATOR))
On the pro-Palestinian side of the road, Amin Odeh said the violence didn’t start with Saturday’s attack.
((Amin Odeh, Pro-Palestinian rally participant))
“We're here to show support for our people in Gaza Strip. They've been under siege for the past 17 years. Nobody likes to see civilians being attacked on either side. So we're saying to people that they have been kidnapping our people. We have 7,000, 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails. And we can't just say it started yesterday. It started in 1948. It started 75 years ago, not just this weekend.”
((NARRATOR))
After more than two hours, both rallies dispersed peacefully.
((Natasha Mozgovaya, VOA News, Kirkland, Washington))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Kirkland, Washington
BylineNatasha Mozgovaya
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
