"Our little part in this:" Nearly 50 rally for peace in Green Bay amid escalating tension in Middle East
GREEN BAY (WITI) -- The tension in the Middle East is being felt half way around the world. Nearly 50 people rallied for peace here in northeast Wisconsin on Thursday morning, July 17th.
At Houdini Plaza in Appleton, dozens of people gathered Thursday morning.
"We have invited people from all faiths to come together and pray with us, and it's a message of peace," Pakistani Lubna Alam said.
Young and old reflected on tension and violence in the Middle East. The conflict over territory in the region has divided Palestinian and Jewish people for centuries.
"You can't have peace until the bombs stop dropping out of the sky. When you use babies and women as human shields," Ed Klug, with the Appleton Jewish community said.
"It wasn't an empty land. It was land occupied by Palestinians. Palestinians been expelled from their land," Palestinian Khaled Hussein said.
But on this day, a plea for peace was in the air.
"I like to think the Gaza Strip is like the center ground, where there's a lot of animosity, a lot of fighting over that central area. But if maybe people could come to the center, and maybe get along, maybe learn a few things from each side, and try to be peaceful," Tarina Swanson, a Moslem convert said.
As the rally continued, people of many faiths, many ethnic backgrounds may have found common ground in the middle of Appleton.
"This is not a softball. You got to stand up and say what's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong," Tim Day of Appleton said.
"We said we got to do something. Just our little part. I know it's not going to make a huge difference, but just you know, our little part in this," Lubna Alam said.
"Nobody has the answer to the conflict, but if you get together, my hope is that people realize that needs to change," Klug said.
"People of Palestine in general, and Gazans in particular, they have the right to live in peace, in harmony and dignity," Hussein said.
Organizers say they were pleasantly surprised at the turnout and may plan another rally.