A protest calling for awareness of the plight of children in Gaza drew criticism Sunday after demonstrators gathered across the street from the largest Jewish community center in Oklahoma.
About 40 protesters and a few counter protesters exchanged chants and words outside the Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center during the “Save the Children of Gaza” demonstration.
Organizer Salah Mughrabi said the location was chosen intentionally.
“They’re celebrating soldiers when they come back from there, from service,” he said. “They’re encouraging Zionism and all that. So, we felt it was necessary to draw attention to it and to say that’s not okay.”
The Jewish Federation of Tulsa criticized the protest in a statement last week, calling on state leaders to condemn it. The group cited the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, which permits legitimate criticism of Israel but opposes language that blames all Jewish people for the actions of the Israeli government.
"We urge our elected officials to respond swiftly and decisively. This moment demands action in defense of the Oklahoma Standard that we all cherish. That standard includes a commitment to the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, which the State of Oklahoma has officially adopted," reads the statement.
The legal adoption of the definition was contested, with critics saying it chills free speech.
Despite the controversy, supporters said the protest aimed to raise awareness for children starving in Gaza due to aid blockages.
The protest concluded peacefully at 8 p.m.
