Activists call for cease-fire outside Ossoff’s office

As Israel’s campaign in Gaza — and U.S. support for it — comes under increased scrutiny, Georgia’s first Jewish U.S. senator is facing calls to support a cease-fire in a conflict that has ended more than 10,000 lives so far.

Several dozen Jewish peace activists gathered outside the Atlanta office of Sen. Jon Ossoff with shirts reading “Jews Say Cease Fire Now” and holding signs with slogans like “Our Grief is not Your Weapon.”

The Israel-Hamas War began Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack into Israeli territory, killing about 1,200 people, including civilians and children. Israel has responded with overwhelming force. As of Wednesday, the death toll in the Palestinian enclave reportedly exceeded 10,000, 4,000 of whom were children.

At a New York news conference Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned “clear violations of international humanitarian law” in the conflict.

“Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children,” he said. “Hundreds of girls and boys are reportedly being killed or injured every day. More journalists have reportedly been killed over a four-week period than in any conflict in at least three decades. More United Nations aid workers have been killed than in any comparable period in the history of our organization.”

The U.N. was founded in October 1945.

Marissa Pyle, an organizer for Jewish Voices for Peace Atlanta, said she was hoping to speak with Ossoff or his staff about how he might be able to help end the violence.

“A coalition of folks spoke with a staffer from Sen. Ossoff’s office last week about our support for a cease-fire and the need for a cease-fire,” she said as marchers chanted, “Ossoff, shame on you.”

“We requested a follow-up meeting with the senator,” she added. “We were told that he would just be unavailable in general to meet with us. Our hope today was to meet with staff to convey that we are very serious about the need for a cease-fire, but since the building’s locked, since we were told that we’d be subject to arrest if we stayed on the property, it seems unlikely that we’re going to be able to talk to staff.”

An Ossoff staffer told the Recorder before the protesters showed up that they were always willing to hear from constituents, but they did not unlock the doors or step outside to speak with the demonstrators. Staffers asked that further requests for comment be sent to Ossoff’s press team. Ossoff’s press team did not answer questions or provide information on the record.