Hundreds of Jews and allies marched in solidarity with Israel by the Pico-Robertson/Beverlywood space of Los Angeles on Sunday as audio system referred to as for peace, condemnation of the Hamas terror group and the discharge of practically 200 folks being held hostage by the group within the Gaza Strip.
Organized by the Simon Wiesenthal Middle, Museum of Tolerance and the Jewish Federation of Better Los Angeles, the occasion ran alongside Pico Boulevard, with a bunch marching from Younger Israel of Century Metropolis to the museum, a half-mile away. Los Angeles Police Division automobiles and officers lined the route for safety, and there have been no seen safety incidents in the course of the gathering.
Many of the assembled lined the road with indicators proclaiming “We stand with Israel,” calling to “Finish Hamas” and that includes the attraction that Hamas ought to “cease utilizing Moslems [sic] as human shields.” American and Israeli flags of each dimension have been current, poking out of baseball caps and hairstyles, being held aloft by attendees or hooked up to small sticks that kids waved as they walked.
“Regardless of the [90-degree] warmth, I discovered the entire expertise to be so highly effective,” mentioned one native mom, who attended together with her 12-year-old son and requested to not have her identify printed. “Over the previous week there have been various occasions held by particular person organizations, or group occasions that largely fell alongside denominational strains,” she mentioned, “however at the moment appeared to carry collectively Jews of various backgrounds from throughout the neighborhood, and it felt like there was an influence in that.”
At midday, a number of hundred attendees made their manner into the museum’s courtyard for an hour-long program, that includes metropolis officers, religion leaders and different Jewish neighborhood figures expressing assist for Israel within the aftermath of the murderous Oct. 7 assaults by Hamas. An indoor overflow house within the museum’s atrium supplied additional seating and screens and audio system in a shaded house.
“On the worst second in our folks’s historical past because the Holocaust, it was uplifting to see the Jewish neighborhood be so united and joined with so many allies,” Iranian American Jewish legal professional and former L.A. metropolis commissioner Sam Yebri, who attended the rally, instructed eJP. “Highlights included seeing younger kids marching arm in arm with their aged grandparents, younger secular Jewish boys placing on tefillin and singing Jewish songs, and emotionally thanking allies from throughout Los Angeles — together with Hindu, Muslim and Catholic neighborhood leaders,” he mentioned.
This system started with a name from Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was critically wounded and kidnapped by Hamas, during which she revealed new data from the police that the 23-year-old’s telephone sign was picked up within Gaza early Saturday morning. In a gradual however weary voice, she instructed the gang that “the one factor that retains us going day by day is we’re doing every thing to try to discover him and convey him dwelling and get him the assistance he wants as a result of he had a crucial wound, if he’s nonetheless alive, he wants speedy medical care.” She addressed the gang, thanking “each single one who reached out to us as a result of we really feel your love and we really feel your prayers. And we’re so grateful that you simply’re standing behind us.”
Posters of the kidnapped and lacking Israelis have been in every single place alongside the parade route, on timber, on phone poles and at bus stops; some folks affixed the posters to sticks to hold on the march’s route, and others taped them on their backs or someplace on their particular person.
Israel’s consul common in Los Angeles, Israel Bachar, who started his submit in September, famous the museum setting and reiterated that the demise toll was the most important variety of Jews killed in a single day because the Holocaust. “In 1939, we couldn’t combat again,” the consul common mentioned. “However in 2023, we are able to and we’ll…we will likely be unleashing the total functionality of the IDF. We’ll search out each terrorist. Hamas will likely be destroyed.”
California’s lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis, took the rostrum to share her “unequivocal assist” of the State of Israel. Her father’s sister, who “was like a mom to me,” she added, served as a Greek Orthodox nun in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre for 30 years; Kounalakis mentioned that her honeymoon was additionally in Israel. She urged these in attendance to honor the reminiscences of the fallen and to carry Hamas accountable.
“There are kids right here at the moment, kids who we marched together with,” Kounalakis mentioned. “And I’m sorry that our kids of our neighborhood are listening to these phrases and seeing this present day that all of us hoped would by no means come. And but we’re right here and we should converse out.”
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) instructed the gang that “the trail to freedom within the area should ultimately embody peace.”
She closed her remarks with the Jewish prayer for redeeming captives: “Baruch ata adonai melech ha’olam, matir asurim.” Blessed are you God, ruler of the universe, who units captives free.”
Along with Kounalakis and Kamlager-Dove, different leaders current included: State Sens. Henry Stern, Jesse Gabriel, Josh Newman and Susan Rubio, and State Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio; president of the board of AIPAC Michael Tuchin; Rabbi Marvin Hier and Rabbi Abraham Cooper from the Museum of Tolerance; influencer Montana Tucker; and sports activities figures similar to boxer Floyd Mayweather and former NBA star Glen “Huge Child” Davis.
Interfaith leaders additionally provided remarks about solidarity and justice: Greg Laurie, senior pastor of the Harvest Christian fellowship spoke Hebrew, “hinei ma tov u’ma na’im shevet achim gam yachad” — how good it’s for siblings to be collectively. Omar Farah, government director of Muslim Coalition of America, mentioned he represents thousands and thousands of Muslims throughout this nation whose voices could be drowned out by radicals and extremists. “On behalf of all Muslims, nationally,” Farah mentioned, “we think about you our American Jewish brothers and sisters. We’re right here for you in occasions of darkness. We’re additionally right here with you in occasions of happiness to come back.”
Closing out the occasion, Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and CEO of the federation, mentioned that “at the moment Israel wants us greater than ever,” and introduced that the federation had raised thousands and thousands of {dollars} which can be going on to Israel, and urged the assembled to reject the “each side” narrative that’s current within the media.
“There are forces which can be celebrating the homicide of ladies and kids, which can be celebrating massacres throughout the USA,” Farkas mentioned. “I do know that Hamas just isn’t Palestine. Palestine just isn’t Hamas. [But] there isn’t any ethical equivocation on this second. There isn’t a two sides of this argument. One aspect of us stands for what is correct, what is sweet. It stands for justice and the regulation of democracy. There is just one celebration that seeks to restrict civilian casualties and there is just one terrorist group that goals to additional civilian casualties. We now have to grasp and make the world perceive the distinction.”
