BOISE, Idaho — Roughly one thousand Idahoans gathered at the steps of the Statehouse on Sunday to sing, pray, and stand with Israel.
Community members, faith leaders and politicians were part of the "Idaho Stands with Israel" rally to show support for Israel in their war against Hamas.
The rally was organized by the Idaho Stands with Israel Coalition, an interfaith coalition concerned about the ongoing conflict.
"Around the world, there's so much going on around pro-Palestinian stuff, pro-Hamas stuff," Dan Berger, founder of the Idaho Stands with Israel Coalition said. "We felt that we wanted to be proactive and show that there is another side to the story. And that is - we say no to terrorism, we reject anti-Semitism, and we want the hostages to come back."
In the wake of the deadly attacks on October 7th, the Idaho Stands with Israel Coalition was started by Berger - who immigrated to the United States from Israel.
"It's nice to be in a place like Idaho, where I'm welcome, I feel safe," Berger said. "People are coming together to celebrate freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and stand for what's right - and that's to say no to terrorism, and to stop anti-Semitism - which is rampant. The FBI reports that 60% of hate crimes are against Jewish people, even though Jewish people only make up 2.4% of the population."
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador spoke at the rally.
"Our hearts are broken because of what's happening in Israel," Labrador said. "Not since the Holocaust has the world witnessed such a profound loss of Jewish lives as we saw on Oct. 7. And even despite such cruelty and terror, we see the venom of anti-Semitism rise to the surface in our cities, in our own colleges and universities. And this cannot go unchallenged."
Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) spoke about the United States' alliance with Israel.
"Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East, and for those of us who believe in democracy and a market economy - that's a big deal in that environment," Fulcher said. "Israel is the first line of defense against terrorism that threatens America. The reason that's the case is because the source of terrorism is the same for America as it is for Israel."
Governor Brad Little signed a proclamation declaring Nov. 5, 2023 'Idaho Stands With Israel Day.'
"We got a message from Mayor McLean of support," Berger said. "And we have the Idaho Democratic Party and the Idaho GOP both sending us letters of support, including Senator Risch in Washington. So, we have support across the board."
Organizers say the event was the largest Israel rally in Idaho history.
"It's a really huge rally - that's a bit rare these days - that's pro-Israel, because folks are scared," Berger said. "Folks are scared to go out in the street, scared to wear the Star of David, scared of having mezuzahs on their door, scared to wave the flag. We want to make sure they have a safe space where they can show their support for Israel and show that Idaho stands with Israel."
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