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OREM — More than a hundred demonstrators gathered outside the Timpanogos Regional Hospital on Feb. 24, calling for the United States to withdraw support from Israel as the conflict with Palestine continues and the country's health care infrastructure crumbles.
A constant flow of traffic ran down 800 North; some honked in support while other drivers shouted angrily at the group bearing signs and flags.
One of the speakers said he lost many family members still in Gaza, including a pregnant cousin who didn't have access to health care. "We have no problem with Christians, Jews, Atheists or Muslims," he said. "We have a problem with genocide."
The rally, which focused on the destruction of health care facilities in Palestine, called for all health care workers in Utah to support a cease-fire. United Nation's Inter-Agency Standing Committee reported that, as of Feb. 19, only 12 of 36 hospitals with inpatient capacity are still functioning, putting Gaza civilians in extreme peril.
"Hospitals are not targets. Children are not targets," the crowd chanted before a 10-minute period of silence held for the 29,000 Palestinians the Gaza Health Ministry estimates have died so far.
Mustafa Khader, 73, used to be a baker in Palestine. He told the crowd, "Our leaders are detached from the reality. They want to globalize their economy of the world. They refuse to globalize the humans of the world. How can that bring justice?"
"It's not like they're rushing in the hospital, knocking down doors, and, you know, pulling people aside and shooting people indiscriminately," U.S. President Joe Biden said in response to a question about an Israel Defense Forces raid on the Al-Shifa Hospital in the northern section of the city of Gaza. "I think that Israel is also taking risks themselves, about their folks being killed one-to-one going through these hospital rooms, hospital halls."
Khader moved to the U.S. 40 years ago and is a local business owner. While he doesn't have any family in Palestine now, his partner's family has watched their farm and houses be demolished in the conflict. He expects there to be only more bloodshed in the next year, saying, "The leadership in America is not seeking a solution, so it will not find one."
Negotiations are currently taking place to establish a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which Biden has said he hopes can be in effect by Monday. The president, appearing on late-night television Monday, said, "There's been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well in order to give us time to get all the hostages out."
