As Pro-Palestinian protesters reignited the flames of anti-Israel chants on the Emory University quad Thursday evening, whispers of a Jewish rally were growing.
By 7 p.m., about 50 people wrapped in Israel flags and carrying signs gathered in front of Ali’s Cookies in Emory Village. Owned by Nofar and Sagi Shablis, an Israeli couple, the bakery has experienced acts of antisemitism since the Israel-Hamas war began in October.
Rep. Esther Panitch with Atlanta attorneys Alexis Levine and Scott Grubman, all members of the Jewish Bar Association, organized the rally for Israel after seeing video and photographs from the protest on Emory’s campus this morning where 28 people were arrested.
Levine said Jews are exhausted by “the continuous barrage of violence and antisemitic rhetoric on campuses all across the county. Some of us just reached a breaking point today [and decided] to get together.”
“We need to be proud of our Judaism, and not be afraid to be publicly Jewish and express our strength in numbers,” Levine said.
Levine, who was born in Atlanta, is the daughter of immigrants who fled Iran for Israel, then moved to the U.S.
“I’m very familiar with the way that older generations are forced to assimilate, and I think that was born out of necessity and safety. But I’m not sure we can afford to be silent,” Levine said, adding that her parents were scared to come to campus with her. “There’s a lot of fear.”
Panitch reported that the rally was nearly rescheduled because DeKalb County Police Department was already planning to be covering campus and jail, where protests were expected.
“It was a positive, peaceful event,” Panitch said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Free Palestine supporters gathered again on the Emory quad and had a brief standoff with Atlanta Police and Georgia State Patrol officers outside the Candler School of Theology building. There were social media reports that pepper balls were used by law enforcement, while some protesters attempted to reassemble the encampment that had been removed after this morning’s protest.
It was unclear if any additional arrests were made.