NORTHAMPTON — Protesters from a variety of different activist groups in western Massachusetts coalesced onto the steps of City Hall Wednesday ahead of a speech before U.S. Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, levying accusations of war crimes committed by Israeli forces during the ongoing war in Gaza.

With effigies of Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden dressed in orange prison jumpsuits and makeshift gravestones bearing the names of children killed in the conflict, those attending the rally called for Netanyahu’s arrest for his conduct in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have died since the conflict began after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

Louai Abu-Osba, a Palestinian-American who lives in Sunderland, told the crowd of around 100 people that Netanyahu’s government was an impediment to any hope of peace in the region, recalling how Netanyahu and his political party Likud had been opposed to the Oslo Peace Accords, meant as a framework to peace between Israelis and Palestinians signed in the 1990s by former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was latter assassinated by an Israeli right-wing extremist.

“That extremism is now the political norm in Israel,” Abu-Osba said. “Netanyahu is not only the butcher of Gaza, but also the butcher of Israel’s own humanity.”

In an interview with the Gazette, Abu-Osba said he feared the ongoing conflict would get worse in Gaza before it gets better, but also said he felt inspired by the numerous anti-war demonstrations that have taken place across the Pioneer Valley since the war broke out, including at UMass Amherst, where over 100 people were arrested during an encampment protest in May.

“I see tremendous progress unlike anything I’ve ever imagined,” he said. “This movement is going to have a huge impact in our politics and the electorate over the years to come, as it builds and becomes more mainstream.”

Attendees of the rally came from multiple activist groups, such as Jewish Voice for Peace, the UMass Palestinian Solidarity Caucus, and the River Valley Democratic Socialists of America. The rally featured a moment of silence for those killed in the Gaza war, musical performances by activist folk singer Ben Grosscup and recitations of poetry about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Peter Kakos, a retired pastor formerly of Northampton’s Edwards Church, condemned Netanyahu and the actions of Israel in Gaza during the rally, comparing them to the biblical story of Cain murdering his brother Abel.

“Each and every murder is carried out by one family member against another,” Kakos said. “Mr. Netanyahu, God will never be on your side and will never be for genocide.”

Kaia Jackson, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, urged those at the rally to continue to voice their discontent with the current state of affairs in Gaza and to continue to contact their local elected officials to add political pressure for ending the war.

“Continuing to speak about the unspeakable is the emotional labor and spiritual labor of our time,” Jackson said. “I believe that it is the only thing that will preserve our humanity in this moment.”

Several members of congress, including U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, said they planned to boycott Netanyahu’s speech. Biden, who the protesters accused of abetting war crimes, has recently announced he would not seek reelection and endorsed the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Abu-Osba told the Gazette that though he was optimistic that the pro-Palestinian movement would eventually reach the political mainstream, he didn’t feel that would happen under a hypothetical Harris presidency.

“I think Kamala Harris is an astute politician. She really wants to win, and she’ll put on some window dressing to address this activist movement,” he said. “But I don’t think there will be any tangible changes in actual policy when it comes to arming Israel.”

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.