The Israel-Palestine conflict has highlighted a global division, with Western countries rallying behind Israel while condemning the retaliatory actions of Hamas, and Arab nations and Islamic countries expressing their unwavering support for Palestine.
Palestinian-Americans and pro-Palestine advocates staged a protest in downtown Chicago, Illinois, on October 8, demanding that the US government reconsider its alliance with Israel.
They called upon the international community to break its “silence” on the Palestinian issue, emphasizing the need for US citizens to vocalize their support. Notably, Chicago and its surrounding areas are home to one of the largest Palestinian diasporas in the United States.
Similarly, in New York City, dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at Times Square, expressing their opposition to the US’s backing of Israel.
Some protesters carried banners advocating for an end to US aid and emphasizing that resistance should not be labeled as terrorism. New York Governor Kathy Hochul had condemned such demonstrations, considering them “morally repugnant.”
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, protests erupted in the country’s largest city on October 8, demonstrating solidarity with the Palestinian people in the wake of Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza, which resulted in hundreds of casualties.
One protest, organized by the Palestine Foundation Pakistan outside Karachi Press Club, saw protesters stepping on and burning both U.S. and Israeli flags. Another evening protest, led by the Shi’ite group Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), featured men and women marching through the streets, displaying Palestinian flags and images of Shi’ite leaders. It’s worth noting that Pakistan maintains no diplomatic relations with Israel.
Across the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen witnessed thousands of participants joining a rally in Sanaa on October 7 in support of Hamas’ “Al Aqsa flood operation,” while tens of others gathered in Kuwait City for the same cause.
The participants chanted in support of Gaza, the Al-Aqsa mosque, and Hamas, all while proudly waving Palestinian flags.
These demonstrations underscore the global sentiment and the diverse responses to the Israel-Palestine conflict, with various countries, particularly in the Muslim world, expressing their solidarity with Palestine and condemnation of Israeli actions.
