I STAND WITH ISRAEL...DO YOU?

UNITED TOGETHER!

Last night, amongst the 5000+ strong Jewish and non-Jewish supporters for the State of Israel who were present at the Stand With Israel Rally I was proud. Proud not only to be a Jew, a Zionist, an ardent supporter of the Jewish State of Israel, but most importantly, I was proud to be a Canadian and a Torontonian (ok, technically I'm a Thornhiller, but still you get the picture).

What I was rather disappointed (and I hope I'm proven wrong about this) is that it didn't seem to me as though there were many of our community's youth and/or young professionals et.al. present.

I know that people have their lives to live and socializing can at times take priority, however if you think about the more than 1,000,000 (ONE MILLION) Israelis whose lives have been ground to a halt due to terrorist attacks along their Northern border, don't you think that sacrificing an evening or two to show them that you care, that you sympathize, that you understand - isn't that worth missing out on a pub night or a chick flick or whatever???

You don't have to be political to show your support. You don't have to wave a flag, or be a member of a given political party. You don't have to be an Israeli, you don't have to have ever travelled to the region. You don't have to be Jewish, and you don't have to be apathetic. You have to be a human being and recognize that your fellow brothers and sisters are fighting and dying for their country, for freedom, for democracy, for their basic right to exist. Any Canadian, and human being so adamantly opposed, or worse so indifferent to the plight of our Israeli brothers and sisters should be ashamed.

To those of you whom I know who weren't there last night at the Toronto Performing Arts Centre, please, be sure to be there the next time - and hopefully there won't be a next time. All it takes is to have your heart in a good place and your willingness to STAND and be counted as a true friend.

May G-d watch over and bless the State of Israel, her soldiers and her citizens alike. May they be kept safe and return to their homes and cities and villages and shops and businesses so very, very soon and may the innocent people of Lebanon know peace in the coming days. May they know that their Israeli and Canadian cousins are eagerly awaiting the day to share laughs and meals rather than grief, sorrow and bombs.

Peace.

Done.

EM