Wyoming lawmakers, faith leaders show support for Israel as Gaza death toll rises

Mar. 8—CHEYENNE — Everybody outside the Wyoming State Capitol was mourning someone.

As a group of lawmakers, religious leaders and guests gathered in front of the Capitol early Thursday afternoon, anguish over the results of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip was at the forefront. While the overwhelming majority of people attending the event were supportive of Israel, a small number of protesters holding signs that read "Free Palestine" and calling Israeli operations in Gaza a "genocide" gathered behind the group.

"Today marks exactly five months since the most horrific attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust," Chabad Rabbi Zalman Mendelsohn said, introducing Thursday's "Stand in Solidarity with Israel" event shortly after noon. "Twelve-hundred of my dear brothers and sisters were murdered on that vile day back on October 7 and 240 of my brothers and sisters ... were taken hostage into terror tunnels in Gaza."

Eight serving Wyoming lawmakers made statements of unqualified support for Israel, coming as public pressure has grown on U.S. officials to halt aid to Israel and help foster a cease-fire between the warring sides. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray, addressing the conflict bluntly, called the conflict a "struggle between good and evil."

Members of Wyoming government who shared remarks of staunch support for Israel included:

— Gray

— Sen. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton

— Sen. Evie Brennan, R-Cheyenne

— Rep. Donald Burkhart Jr., R-Rawlins

— Rep. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne

— Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody

— Rep. Dalton Banks, R-Cowley

— Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland.

Many lawmakers gave brief remarks about Wyoming's commitment to Israel, extending personal condolences to victims of the Oct. 7 attacks and showing support for people who had been the target of anti-Semitic rhetoric or attacks.

"Know that I, myself, and many members of the legislature in Wyoming stand with the Jewish community in Wyoming and stand with Israel," Burkhart said. "We have to hold up, and acknowledge, those people who are trying to practice their religion, their beliefs in a peaceful manner. We have to keep going, and keep upholding, that as part of this country, as part of this state. All of us need to understand that people everywhere have the right to live, have the right to practice what they believe."

Multiple faith leaders from local churches also gave their remarks in support for Israel, including Restoration Fellowship International Church Pastor Tom Perea. He announced at the event that he was a "Christian Zionist."

"I am thankful for the people of Israel and what they've done," Perea said. "I thank them for giving us the Word of God. I thank them for giving us my Savior Jesus Christ and, for that, I'm pleased to announce on behalf of my staff, Restoration Fellowship, that I'm a Christian Zionist. We love the people of Israel, and they have every right to defend and stand up for what they believe."

Several news outlets have reported that, according to Gaza Health Ministry data, more than 30,000 people have died in Gaza since Israel's response to the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

When confronted by a protester with questions about the death toll at Thursday's event, keynote speaker Ran Bar-Yoshafat, a reserve officer with the Israeli Defense Force, questioned the number of people who died and exclaimed that Hamas was responsible for the casualties as a result of the conflict.

"Did you know that more rockets from Hamas hit Gaza than Israel?" he asked the protester. "Do you understand that Hamas, from Gaza, fired rockets at Israel and ... had a misfire and fell in Gaza."

He said he mistrusted the reports of deaths in Gaza because that information was coming directly from Hamas.

"I don't agree with the numbers," Bar-Yoshafat continued in response to the question. "I don't agree with the fact that casualties are placed on Israel. ... I'm happy that Hamas terrorists are killed. I'm literally saying that that's one of our missions, to annihilate Hamas unless they surrender."

Bar-Yoshafat spent most of his speech detailing his time in Israel in the lead-up to, and aftermath of, the Oct. 7 attacks. He said that he had planned to get married just days after the attacks but put those plans on hold when he was called to serve in the wake of the attacks for the IDF. Ultimately, he said he took a brief leave of absence from operations to have a much smaller wedding ceremony but returned to serve in the IDF for around 100 days.

He said, throughout his time fighting with the IDF, he and other Israeli soldiers went out of their way to look after Palestinian civilians and took care to respect them when possible. A frequent moral dilemma IDF officials encountered, he said, was deciding whether or not it was morally OK to take oil and flour from abandoned homes of "terrorists."

"We're arguing, while we're hearing people shooting at us from all different directions, if it's OK or not OK to use an olive oil that was left in the house of a terrorist and people are saying we're killing innocent people," Bar-Yoshafat said.

Earlier in his speech, he said that he encountered "Nazi propaganda" and anti-semitic literature that gave him pause. He said that this was in "every single house that (he) went to in northern Gaza."

"I want to emphasize something which is very sad," he said. "I was surprised to see how often I would surprise myself. Every single house that I went to in northern Gaza had either rockets, explosives, grenades or ammunition, Nazi propaganda and anti Israel material; every single house I went to.

"I see, in the house, women's shoes and I see towels and I see blankets and we see these notebooks that have Marvel characters in them, or pictures of princesses, and (I would say), 'These people are just like me.' Then I place my hand on a bag of diapers, and in these diapers I find grenades. Every time I was upset with myself that I keep getting surprised to see how much excitement in the Jew-hatred ... exists."

After the event, when asked by the Wyoming Tribune Eagle about calls on Israel to take the first steps toward a cease-fire — including statements made by Vice President Kamala Harris that week — Bar-Yoshafat said there was a simple solution to the ongoing conflict.

"We had a cease-fire on Oct. 6, and now we have hostages in Gaza," he told the WTE. "So, I would be extremely upset with Israel. ... I think that any politician that says, 'Cease-fire now,' is going to be gone. Israel is so united right now with the fact that we're not willing to have a cease-fire unless they bring back the hostages. ... there's no reason for Israel to be the bigger person right now."

Later, he told the WTE why supporting Israel should matter to people in Wyoming.

"I think people should know the truth," he said. "And, if they disagree with me ... I mean, I had a conversation with that young lady (protester), I don't think I've convinced her but, maybe people are like, 'OK, who seems to be more honest or more close to the truth?'"

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Samir Knox is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's criminal justice and public safety reporter. He can be reached by email at sknox@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3152. Follow him on Twitter at @bySamirKnox.