On Jan. 16, the Columbia City Council held a meeting where guest speakers Isleen Atallah and Cass Donish advocated for a cease-fire proclamation regarding the Israel-Hamas war. They spoke for five minutes on the proclamation, which they said contains important parts for moving toward peace in the region.
“Humanitarian aid, the liberation of people, shared equality … this is the first step, it’s not the last,” said Atallah, the president of Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine.
Donish, a member of the Jewish organization “If Not Now,” is actively working to unify Jews in Columbia “who are against what’s happening.”
“What will make you join this movement is finding how it connects to you and your own community,” Donish said, “we realize that our common values are wanting to live with dignity, with equality and to live in peace.”
The Maneater aims to portray the Israel-Hamas war holistically in student response with our coverage. As a newsroom, we aim to platform student voices and emphasize the impact of this international conflict on our campus and community. To do so, The Maneater maintains editorial discretion over the selection of text, photographs and distribution for publication to ensure the conflict is represented to most prominently emphasize the student voice.