LEAVE IT THERE. THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU. BE WELL.
>> TURNING TO INTERNATIONAL NEWS, IT'S NOW MORE THAN FIVE
WEEKS SINCE THE HAMAS TERRORIST ATTACK ON ISRAEL.
WITH THE DEATH TOLL IN GAZA TOPPING 11,000 AND GROWING.
"HERE & NOW" REPORTER ADITI DEBNATH CONTINUES THAT REPORTING
ON HOW THE ESCALATING WAR CONTINUES TO TORMENT THESE
WISCONSIN FAMILIES. >> THERE ARE NO POSITIVE WAYS TO
SPIN WHAT IS HAPPENING. >> I JUST WANT THIS THING TO BE
END. >> THIS WISCONSINITES HAVE CLOSE
TEXAS CITY TO THE WAR. LIKE HAMA, A NATIVE OF GAZA,
WHOSE FAMILY THERE DOES NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS TO TELL HER IF
THEY'RE ALIVE. FOR NOW, PICTURES OF HER FAMILY
ARE ALL SHE AND HER MOTHER HAVE. >> SHE JUST HAVE OUR HOUSE WITH
US AND THE CRYING. THAT'S THE ONLY THING SHE'S
DOING RIGHT NOW. >> HAMA RECENTLY APPLIED FOR
U.S. CITIZEN AND FEARS PALESTINIAN BACKLASH IF SHE
SPEAKS TO THE MEDIA. SHE ALSO WORRIES THAT HER FAMILY
IN GAZA WILL BE TARGETED. >> I HAVE ZERO HOPE TO SEE THEM
AGAIN. >> THIS WAR IS IN A DECADES-LONG
CONFLICT. SHE FEARED FOR HER FAMILY IN
2014 ALSO. >> THAT WAR, I LOST MY AUNT
FAMILY, EIGHT PEOPLE DIED, KILLED IN THAT ONE.
>> WHO LIVE UNDER THE CONSTANT THREAT OF MISSILE ATTACKS AND
DEATH. >> THE FATE OF ALL PEOPLE IN
GAZA AND ISRAEL READS RABBI BET SID FORESTER TO PRAY FOR THEM
MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY. >> TO HOLD IT TOGETHER I BELIEVE
IS WHAT MY JOB IS. >> BUT IT WAS HARDER FOR HER TO
HOLD IT TOGETHER WHEN HER HUSBAND, SCOTT, WAS IN ISRAEL
WITH THEIR DAUGHTER, AND ISRAEL DECLARED WAR.
>> I FELT VERY HELPLESS HERE. >> SCOTT IS BACK HOME NOW BUT
STILL UNSETTLED. >> EVERYBODY IS WALKING AROUND
WITH A CLOUD HANGING, YOU KNOW, A CLOUD OF UNCERTAINTY.
>> FOLLOWING HAMAS' ATTACK KILLING AN ESTIMATED 1,200
ISRAELIS, THE UNRELENTING RETALIATION BY ISRAEL HAS SO FAR
KILLED MORE THAN 11,000 PEOPLE IN THE GAZA STRIP, AND THAT
NUMBER CONTINUES TO GROW DAILY. UW-MADISON PROFESSOR SAMER
ALATOUT, IS A NATIVE OF PALESTINE AND A GEOPOLITICAL
EXPERT OF THE REGION. HE SAYS AT ISSUE IS ZIONISM.
THE MOVEMENT TO ESTABLISH A JEWISH NATION ON PALESTINIAN
LAND. >> THE PEOPLE WHO PAID THE PRICE
FOR THE ZIONIST PROJECT ARE THE PALESTINIANS, AND THEY PAID A
HEAVY PRICE. >> THAT HEAVY PRICE IS WHAT
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL DEEMS APARTHEID.
DECADES OF ISRAELI LAWS AND POLICIES DESIGNED TO, QUOTE,
MAINTAIN A CRUEL SYSTEM OF CONTROL OVER PALESTINIANS.
EVEN IN ISRAEL, MOST CITIZENS DON'T SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT'S
LEADERS, ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER.
>> SO IT'S A REALLY, REALLY TOUGH TIME TO BE AN ISRAELI.
>> MARC KORNBLATT LIVED IN MADISON FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS
BEFORE HE AND HIS WIFE MOVED TO ISRAEL IN 2019.
NOW IN TEL AVIV, HE SAYS MOST ISRAELIS DO SUPPORT PALESTINIAN
LIBERATION. >> I'VE NOT BECO ME MORE
ZIONISTIC OR MORE RIGHT WING OR MORE RELIGIOUS.
I'VE BECOME MORE JEWISH. >> KORNBLATT SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT
TO SHOW HIS COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE.
HE VOLUNTEERS AT A CLOTHING DONATION CENTER AND PARTICIPATES
IN A CITIZEN PATROL. >> I WOULD RATHER IS THE VITAL
LIFE THAT I HAVE HERE WHERE I MIGHT MAKE A SMALL DIFFERENCE,
THAN THE QUIET LIFE THAT I COULD CHOOSE BY LEAVING.
>> KORNBLATT SAYS THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS A SMALL ONE.
.2% OF THE WORLD POPULATION, ACCORDING TO PEW, AND MANY OF
HIS NEIGHBORS KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN TORTURED OR KILLED
NOTICES WAR. >> ONE OF THE BIG CALLS THAT
COMES OUT TO THE PLACE WHERE I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE
DONATED CLOTHES IS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS, TO BE ABLE TO SIT WITH
PEOPLE AND LET THEM TRY AND BREATHE AND TALK.
>> OVER IN GAZA, A WISCONSIN MAN'S SISTER WAS KILLED IN A
BOMBARDMENT WHILE AT A MARKETPLACE THERE SOON AFTER THE
OCTOBER 7th ATTACK. SHE WAS A PALESTINIAN SOCIAL
WORKER AND HER BROTHER, MOHAMMED HAMAD, LIVES IN BROOKFIELD.
>> AND SHE WORKED ALL HER LIFE. HER KIDS ARE GOING THROUGH
TRAUMA. >> HAMAD SAYS HE'S LIVED THROUGH
NUMEROUS WARS AND HOPES FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.
BETSY SAYS THE CURRENT WAR IS ONLY SETTING PALESTINIAN
LIBERATION BACK. >> LARGE SWATHS OF THE ISRAELI
POPULATION AND THE AMERICAN JEWISH POPULATION HAVE BEEN
WORKING HARD FOR A TWO-STATE SOLUTION AND AN END TO THE
OCCUPATION OF THE WEST BANK. >> PROFESSOR ALATOUT BELIEVES IN
ONE STATE, FROM THE JORDAN RIVER TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA THAT
EQUALLY INCLUDES PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS.
>> THE SOLUTION IS ONE DEMOCRATIC STATE BETWEEN THE
RIVER AND THE SEA WITH A STATE OF ITS CITIZENS AND FOR ITS
CITIZENS AND WITH EQUAL RIGHTS TO EVERYBODY.
>> NO MATTER THE SOLUTION, HAMAD SAID THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT OF
THIS WAR. >> THERE WILL BE END FOR THIS
FIGHTING BY AGREEING, BY PEOPLE AGREEING THAT THEY WILL LIVE
SIDE BY SIDE IN PEACEFUL SITUATION. >> UNTIL THEN, THE
CLOUD OF UNCERTAINTY AND THE FOR A OF
DEATH REMAINS FOR THESE WISCONSIN FAMILIES AND HANGS
HEAVY. HEAVY.