Israel-Hamas war: Congressman, speakers talk antisemitism, impact on Jewish communities
AUSTIN, Texas - The Z3 conference is an opportunity for American and Israeli Jews to have open conversations.
After the attack on Oct. 7, the Jewish community has been leaning on each other more than ever.
"We just witnessed the greatest tragedy to befall the Jewish people since the Shoah," said Zack Bodner, president and CEO of Oshman Family JCC. "What happened in Israel on Oct. 7 was nearly unprecedented. 1,200 Israelis murdered."
Since the attack, keynote speaker Zack Bodner says the Jewish community in America has been living in fear.
"At least in my neck of the woods in northern California, that I think what's happening everywhere, where you had these Israelis in the community who had woken up, and they were pissed off, and they wanted every single local government organization to condemn the antisemitism and the Jew hatred that their kids were experiencing," Bodner said.
U.S Rep. Michael McCaul was on the panel. Rep. McCaul traveled to Israel two weeks after the attack, and says what he witnessed there was like 9/11.
"They got caught by surprise," Rep. McCaul said. "I was at a Kibbutz, on the Gaza border, in Kfar Raza, and all the people I met with a year ago got slaughtered by Hamas, including the daycare center. With all the children, they got brutally murdered in the most barbaric way."
Since then, Israel's response to that attack has faced criticism by protesters around the world and here in Austin.
Palestinian supporters rallied downtown and on the UT campus in recent months, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.
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On Sunday, McCaul previewed the action he hopes Congress will soon take as a temporary cease-fire deal appears to be in the works.
"I met with the Saudi ambassador last week, the minister of state security," Rep. McCaul said. "I think out of a really bad experience, we could have a great opportunity to bring the Saudis and Israel together in the United States in a security agreement."
Rep. McCaul says he will be traveling to the Middle East in March, hoping to solidify an agreement.