In a statement, the Paterson chapter called Israel a “repressive apparatus.”
“Black Lives Matter Paterson condemns the ongoing violence against Palestinians in East Jerusalem by the state of Israel and stands in solidarity with those fighting occupation,” the statement read. “We as an organization believe in the freedom to worship and a life free from fear of expulsion and violence.”
“The scenes coming out of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where Israeli soldiers are using excessive force against Palestinian worshippers, harkens to our struggle against a repressive state apparatus,” it continued. “BLM Paterson also condemns the current situation in the Sheikh Jarrah enclave, where Israeli settlers are forcibly evicting residents from their ancestral homes.”