Jersey City To Raise Palestinian Flag In November

JERSEY CITY, NJ — In November, the Palestinian flag will wave in front of Jersey City's City Hall, an important first step to the recognition of the Palestinian people, said Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh.

Saleh suggested the flag raising to the Jersey City Cultural Affairs Department — he felt it was important to recognize the Palestinian people both in Jersey City and abroad, as many are traumatized by the increased violence hitting the area. November 15 was chosen as the flag raising day because it is supposed to be Palestinian Independence Day.

The last few weeks have marked some of the most violent fighting in years in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians had been protesting in East Jerusalem in mid-April during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan against Israeli police, who placed barriers to stop evening gatherings at the walled Old City's Damascus Gate, according to Reuters news.

The crescendo of an impending legal case that would evict Palestinian families from their homes to make way for Israeli settlers, added tension. When Israeli police raided Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest shrine in Islam, over a week of violence began between Israeli forces and Hamas, leaving hundreds dead, many of them Palestinians living in Gaza. At least 61 children have died, the New York Times reports.

Saleh is Palestinian-American and said most of his family lives in occupied Palestine.

"It's very difficult for those living in diaspora to watch helplessly as these events unfold," Saleh said.

Watching the violence play out over the Muslim high holiday season is traumatizing for many who practice, Saleh said. He and other Palestinians and Muslims he's spoken to in Jersey City are clinging to prayers that their loved ones stay safe.

"The conversations have been very raw, they have been full of emotion and sadness," Saleh explained. Families in Jersey City are never sure when power might go out or come back in Palestine, or worse, if their loved one will be a victim in an attack, he added.

"People are saying their last goodbyes to their family members — they don't know when the next time they'll be speaking to them is," Saleh said, "Every second, every day is like a lifetime just waiting to hear back that their families survived another day."

On Tuesday, Jersey City residents rallied in Journal Square to support Palestine and call for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. A sea of red, green, white and black filled Journal Square as residents waved Palestinian flags and held signs that read "Free Palestine." In an Instagram post recapping the rally, Saleh announced that the first ever Palestinian flag would be raised in front of City Hall in November.

While Jersey City is no stranger to flag raisings, Saleh said this marks an important first step for the city.

"We can bridge that gap of understanding and work towards a better future for all of us and one that is inclusive, one that gives everyone the rights that they deserve and the freedom that they need," Saleh said.

Alongside prayers and well wishes, Saleh added that Jersey City residents can use their voices and social media to make an impact.

"With every voice, with every heartbeat, with every tweet, with every post, we bend the moral arch of the universe closer to justice," Saleh said.

He added that those who are able, can donate to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, an organization that brings free medical care to children in Palestine.

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