The Jewish community in the Twin Cities responded on Sunday to the deaths of six hostages in Gaza, condemning the killings and expressing concern that tensions in the Middle East could lead to renewed unrest on college campuses.
Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council for Minnesota and the Dakotas, described the incident as a continuation of the violence that began on October 7, involving murder, terrorism, and rape.
According to Israel, the hostages, who were taken during the October 7 surprise attack, were killed by Hamas militants in a Gaza tunnel just before Israeli forces arrived.
One of the hostages, 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin from Berkeley, California, held dual Israeli-American citizenship.
Hunegs warned that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spark protests on campuses, similar to those seen at the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus in April. He expressed hope that this year might be better, though he noted that events in the Middle East will influence campus reactions.
The Jewish Community Relations Council plans to hold a memorial service for the hostages on Wednesday.
