Michigan State Rep. Abraham Aiyash embarks on hunger strike to call for cease-fire
(CBS DETROIT) - The four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas earlier this week ended with missile fire in the last 24 hours or so as lawmakers, unions and Americans continue to call for an end to the conflict.
Michigan state Representative Abraham Aiyash has embarked on a hunger strike and joined a demonstration outside the White House.
"I'm on day three of my hunger strike, and while I am voluntarily choosing not to eat, there are people that are not eating as a result of no access to food," said Aiyash.
Aiyash joined lawmakers from New York, Virginia, and Delaware, among others, in refusing to eat. Aiyash says that he is on day three of his fast.
"We cannot bomb our way to peace," he said. "Certainly not bombing children and innocent people, and we have seen the destruction with over 15,000 Palestinians who have now been murdered. We want to see a release of all the hostages, a return of the prisoners that were unlawfully detained, and an end to the bombing so we can finally have peace in that region."
Aiyash and his fellow demonstrators gathered outside the White House and began painting drops of blood on a long canvas to illustrate the number of children killed.
"We are currently painting one droplet of blood for each child's life that's been lost," he said. "Clearly, we have we have a ways to go. We still have to finish rolling that out. But just to demonstrate the impact of war."
Aiyash said he is no stranger to fasting; he participates in Ramadan each year, but where that tradition allows eating at night-- this fast is all the time.
"One of the organizers brought us brownies for when the hunger strike will end," he said. "So one of the volunteers came and gave us some brownies which have not been consumed. But as you can see, it's just water, coconut water. And that's basically it."