San Francisco: 3,000 Strong in Solidarity with Israel

There was an amazing show of solidarity at todays  pro-Israel rally at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco Thousands gathered to sing, to pray, and to listen to elected officials, community leaders and clergy, who proudly identified, as so many of us do, as pro-peace Zionists

Got hope?    I do  now.

UPDATE:

San Francisco pro-Israel activism is finally noticed by the media.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Pro-Israel-marchers-set-to-gather-at-S-F-rally-5665638.php

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/08/04/San-Francisco-Holds-Peaceful-Pro-Israel-Rally

http://www.jta.org/2014/08/05/news-opinion/united-states/pro-israel-pro-peace-rally-draws-3000-in-san-francisco

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4554970,00.html

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/72253/crowd-of-3000-stands-with-israel-at-s.f.-rally/comment/

 

The Bay Stands With Israel

 From Dr. Mike, of San Francisco Voice for Israel:

 The Bay Area Jewish community is coming together in a way we have not seen for years, to stand together with Israel.  All of our major pro-Israel organizations, and many synagogues and other community groups, are joining together this Sunday.  

We want to see a sea of blue and white filling Civic Center Plaza and marching down Market Street. We want to, as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once famously said, "pray with our feet" as well as with our voices. We want to show the Bay Area that the pro-Israel community is here and that we are strong. We want to hear voices ringing out calling for peace, while understanding that Hamas is the enemy of peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.  We want to show the TV cameras and the newspaper photographers that Civic Center Plaza looks much better supporting a democratic country with civil rights and freedoms, than it does when our opponents use hate speech to support the Hamas regime that oppresses women and minorities and uses its own children as slave labor and human shields.  

And we can't see that happening as powerfully as possible without YOU. This is the most important thing you can do this Sunday. 

Be there. Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco. Noon to 2 PM. Stand with your friends. Stand with your community. Stand for Israel.

 *************

This is what solidarity looks like.

Join  the Bay area Jewish community and their allies in San Francisco's Civic Center Sunday Aug 3 12- 2, as we join together in prayer, in peace and in solidarity with Israel

Thanks to all the supporting organizations:
* ICC@JCC
* Stand With US
* Israeli Executives and Founders Forum
* Israeli American Council
* Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley
* Jewish Community Federation
* BBYO - Jewish Teen Leaders
* Congregation Beth Am
* Jewish Federation of the East Bay
* National Council of Jewish Women San Francisco
* Mishelanu
* Friends of Israel Scouts, Inc. Tzofim
* JCC of Silicon Valley
* South Peninsula Hebrew Day
* Hillel of Silicon Valley
* Kehila Hewish High
* Bank Leumi USA
* Jewish High Tech Community
* Congregation Emeth
* Congregation Beth David
* Zionist Organization of America
* American Jewish Committee San Francisco
* Congregation Kol Emeth
* Jewish National Fund
* Congregation Sinai
* Jewish Family Services
* Temple Emanu-El
* Yavneh Day School
* Hadassah - Women's Zionist Organization of America
* Congregation Emek Beracha
* Bay Area Friendship Circle
* Chabad Israeli community
* Russian American Newspaper "Kstati"
* Congregation Shir Hadash
* American Associates Ben-Gurion University
* American Friends of Tel Aviv University
* California Israel Chamber of Commerce
* A Wider Bridge
* Stanford Israel Alliance
* Israeli Students Organization @Stanford
* Temple Beth Abraham
* American Friends of Magen David Adom

Stand For Israel in San Francisco

 From our friends at San Francisco Voice for Israel

Stand up for Israel's right to exist as a Jewish State within secure borders and free from attacks.

Where: Downtown San Francisco, Justin Herman Plaza
When: Saturday July, 26 12:30 to 1:30pm

Israel is still under siege. In just over two weeks, over 2200 rockets have been fired on the people of Israel, an average of one every ten minutes. Hamas stores its rockets and weaponry in mosques, schools and hospitals. Reporters on the ground have documented Hamas militants using children as combatants. Ben Gurion international airport has been the target of terrorist rockets, and several airlines have canceled their flights. Yet in spite of this, humanitarian aid continues to flow through Israel into Gaza.

This Saturday, extremist anti-Israel groups are again rallying to demand an end to Israel’s right to safeguard its citizens .These groups remain blind to the suffering of the Israeli people, and willfully ignore the role of Hamas in perpetuating the misery of the people of Gaza. From their past demonstrations it is clear these groups object not only to Israel’s defensive actions to protect her citizens, but to the very existence of Israel itself. Last weeks anti-Israel rally featured classic anti-semitism, signs supporting Hamas, and the glorification of terrorists dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

Please add your voice to those gathering in solidarity with our friends and family in Israel. Our messages will be that Israel has the right to defend its citizens, that Hamas rocket fire must stop, and that the enemies of peace are those who promote ongoing war in pursuit of a "river to the sea" Arab state.

We will NOT allow any signs calling for violence against Arabs or Muslims in general; just because the other side engages in vicious hate speech does not mean that we will lower ourselves to their level. Anyone bringing such signs will be identified to the San Francisco Police as a provocateur from the other side and removed. A selection of very useful signs can be found at http://www.standwithus.com/signs/.
Please note that these rallies often attract hard-core anti-Semites who have been known to engage in violence. We advise that those leaving the scene should not walk alone and should not engage verbally with any of the anti-Israel crowd. We also expect those on our side to follow any instructions from the San Francisco Police that might be issued for our safety.

Please come to help counter the lies of these anti-Israel groups, none of whom even accept Israel's right to exist, let alone defend itself!