Iowa Mennonites call for a ceasefire in Gaza

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - As the number of people killed in Gaza is approaching 20,000, Mennonite Iowans are calling for a ceasefire.

Roughly two dozen members of ‘Mennonite Action,’ a collection of Mennonites and Anabaptists calling for peace and justice globally, gathered outside of Senator Joni Ernst’s Cedar Rapids office.

Protestors sang hymns, prayed for the people of Palestine, and shared stories about faith, grief, and destruction.

One of today’s organizers further shared his distaste for Senator Ernst’s pro-Israel stance.

“I hate to see that,” said Mennonite protestor Aidan Yoder. “I think there’s a need to condition aid to Israel because we can’t just keep sending taxpayer funds to go to support a war that’s killing civilians.”

Protestors further explained that they will continue to call for a ceasefire, because, as Mennonites, their connection to non-violent historic peace churches encourages them to.