LOS ANGELES, California — Local political leaders came together with leaders and members of the Jewish community at the Stephen S. Wise Temple on Sunday night to express solidarity with Israel as it fights back against Palestinian Hamas terror.
On Saturday, which also happened to be the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the last day of the High Holy Day cycle, roughly 1,000 terrorists from the Iranian-backed Palestinian Hamas group invaded Israel, killing over 700, wounding over 2,000, and kidnapping over 100 soldiers and civilians.
Mayor Karen Bass, State Sen. Ben Allen (D), and former Trump administration antisemitism monitor Elan Carr were present in a packed hall that was addressed by local rabbis and Israeli Consul General Israel Bachar.
Hatikvah – “The Hope” – “התקוה”- Israel’s national anthem, sung at @FreeSynagogue in #LosAngeles at solidarity vigil for #Israel. pic.twitter.com/tu2jukWcgQ
— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) October 9, 2023
“This was the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” Bachar noted. “e could not fight back in 1939. We can, and we will, in 2023.”
That remark received a standing ovation.
“Stay strong with us… We need you,” he added.
Rabbi Noah Farkas, who leads the local Jewish Federation, an umbrella group of community charities, noted that many Jews in America had relatives, friends, or connections in Israel who had been affected by the terror attack, which hit several communities in proximity to Gaza.
There has been a mass call-up of Israeli reserves, and 100,000 Israeli troops are currently massed on the Gaza border, preparing for an invasion in which there will likely be many casualties on both sides, as Israel attempts to remove Hamas from power.
The gathering in Los Angeles featured the singing of Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, as well as “Oseh Shalom,” a prayer expressing a hope for peace. There will be protests and solidarity rallies for Israel around the world in weeks to come.
Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart News
On Sunday, anti-Israel protests were staged in several American cities, with the Democratic Socialists of America — who count several members of Congress as members — rallying in favor of Hamas and the Palestinian assault on Israeli civilians.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.