On Monday, August 11, roughly 18 San Francisco Bay Area rabbis and cantors sat down in the street after speaking in front of the barricaded Israeli Consulate building, in opposition to Netanyahu’s plan to re-occupy the Gaza Strip and to express dismay at the unrelieved starvation and suffering of the people of Gaza and all hostages–on both sides–enforced by the Israeli and U.S. governments.
The civil disobedience action yielded no arrests, although the group escalated from blocking Montgomery Street to sitting in the intersection of Montgomery and Sacramento for approximately half an hour of singing and prayer.
From the Santa Cruz County area were Rabbi Paula Marcus of Temple Beth El and Rabbi Chel Mandell of the new, left progressive Tzimtzum Jewish community in Santa Cruz County and Rabbi Chaim Schneider, also known as “Howie.”
This episode features live recorded audio and interviews from that civil disobedience action in San Francisco and an update on what is going on in Gaza, the West Bank, and in Israel-Palestine overall, and the evolution of thinking about the violence, killing and starvation in Gaza within local rabbinical clergy.
On-site reporting is provided by Moment of Truth volunteers, Michael Levy and Batya Kagan, who were on scene on August 11. Plus: Ami Chen Mills interviews with Rabbi Chaim Schneider and analysis from author and Middle East expert and scholar, Stephen Zunes.
This episode includes:
- Report from San Francisco’s action
- On-site interview with Rabbi Paula Marcus of Temple Beth El in Aptos
- Who was part of the group of rabbis to attempt civil disobedience in the City?
- What is the Gaza Health Foundation? Who is whistleblower Anthony Aguilar?
- A very condensed history of Hamas (and the Gaza elections), Israel and peace efforts in the region
- The killing of journalists and non-violent activists in Gaza and the West Bank
- The immovability of Congressman Jimmy Panetta
- Coming peace-related events sponsored by Rabbi Paula Marcus and Temple Beth El
- Shall activists welcome those who have now changed their minds?
- Are there Palestinian hostages in Israel?
- The New York Times Magazine cover story on Benjamin Netanyahu, his Rightwing cabinet members and how they have prolonged this war and immense suffering of hostages in Gaza, in Israel and humans in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Moment of Truth Dispatch article about Tony Aguilar on Substack: US Whistleblower Out of Gaza Attacked
- Moment of Truth Dispatch article on Substack: Local Rabbis Take the Streets of San Francisco for Gaza
Moment of Truth with Ami Chen Mills has covered the war and ethnic cleansing/genocide in Gaza beginning in the fall of 2023, shortly after Oct. 7 and the ceasefire meeting of the Santa Cruz City Council. See our past episodes at the KSQD YouTube channel, below:
- Is There Any Hope for Lasting Peace? In depth report on the Israel-Palestine ceasefire meeting of the Santa Cruz City Council and interview with Nobel Peace Prize nominee and author of I Shall Not Hate, Dr. Izzeldin Abulaish
- AIPAC Money, Jimmy Panetta, and US Elections with Sean Dougherty (Candidate for Congress)
- Local Palestinian and Muslim Voices on Israel and Palestine
- Jewish Dialogues on Israel, Gaza and Palestine
- Student Protestor Voices on Israel-Gaza-Palestine
- Palestinian Ashira Ali Darwish of the film “Where Olive Trees Weep”
The entire, two-and-a-half-season Moment of Truth with ACM podcast series (2023 to 2025) at the KSQD YouTube channel. Please like, comment and share to help boost your favorite shows!
Additional Resources:
Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza by Peter Beinart
