Pier Demonstrators Call for Release of Hostages in Gaza
Nov 06, 2023 10:22PM ● By Mb News Staff
Scores of community members gathered at the Manhattan Beach Pier on Sunday to show support and advocate for the return of the hostages being held in Gaza.
More than 240 hostages were seized by Hamas gunmen on October 7 from towns along Israel’s border with Gaza. The hostages are said to come from 40 countries, including the United States.
Participants at Sunday's gathering wore white and held red balloons as
part of the international red balloon awareness campaign to "Say No to Terror." Holding pictures of the hostages, crowd members chanted "Bring Them Home"
and then sang Israel's national anthem "Hativka (The Hope)" while the sun set.
The
event was a grassroots effort that began through a WhatsApp chat among
Jewish mothers in the South Bay who found themselves feeling alone amid
a surge in antisemitic incidents.
At the event, organizers
Dana Ben Yehuda and Jessica Balaban Sapadin expressed outrage and
condemnation of the attacks on October 7, called for support for the hostages
and their families, and appealed to the International Red Cross to provide
urgent medical aid for the hostages held captive.
Yossi Mintz, Executive Director Rabbi of Chabad of the Beach Cities, echoed
the organizers' sentiments and called on gatherers to continue to stand strong,
educate others, and donate to efforts in Israel.
