The rally they couldn’t stop — over 1,000 attend celebration of Israel
SUPPORTERS OF Israel were in boyount mood as over 1,000 flocked to a rally celebrating the country.
The Say No To Terror, Say the Say No To Terror: Say Yes To Peace rally, organised by North West Friends of Israel (NWFOI), attracted people from all over the country to the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
They heard former Cabinet minister Sir Eric Pickles open proceedings with a pledge that Britain would be steadfast in its defence of Israel.
Terrorist violence “cannot drown out the legitimacy of the Jewish State”, Sir Eric told the crowd.
He added that if the BDS movement was allowed to win, denying Britain Scenes from Manchester last Sunday, where Sir Eric Pickles ( and Archbishop Doya Agama were speakers v i t a l I s r a e l i products, the f i r s t v i c t i m would be the NHS.
“We will not be bullied and we will defend democracy,” he said.
Eitan Na’eh, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK, said it was hard to ask the people of Israel to compromise when they were having to live with terror.
He attacked anti-Israel activists as guilty of Jew-hatred. “When you say Zionists, you mean Jews, so you are talking antisemitism,” he said.
The deputy ambassador called on the community to establish “more and more Israel groups in the UK”, adding “Zionists should have no shame, only pride”.
Mr Na’eh delighted the crowd by describing Manchester as “one of the capitals of modern Zionism”. Israel’s first president Chaim Weizmann lived in the city for a number of years.
Joan Ryan MP, the chair of Labour Friends of Israel, attacked the boycott movement. “It does not increase the chances of peace” in the Middle East, she told the audience.
NWFOI co-chair Raphi Bloom read out a message of support from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and thanked the Palace Theatre for “not giving into hate”.
The original venue for the rally had pulled out after what was claimed by organisers as intimidation from Palestinian supporters.
Other speakers included Board of Deputies vice-president Richard Verber, Israel/Britain Alliance director Mike McCann and Zionist Federation chairman Paul Charney, who said that “to be a Zionist is to refuse to be a victim”.
In a rousing speech, Christian Zionist Archbishop Doya Agama, of the Pentacostal Church, said that friendship between Christians and Jews was growing all over the world.
Attacking propaganda against Israel as “lies”, he warned: “If we don’t stand against terror in Israel, then that terror will visit us in the UK”.
Support for the rally also came f rom Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Israeli embassy, as well as grassroots groups around Britain.
NWFOI co-chair Anthony Dennison described the event as a tremendous success.
“People came from as far as Inverness and Brighton. The speakers were outstanding. The mood in the hall was vibrant. Someone told me afterwards that they left feeling two inches taller.”
In a video message Israeli Minister of Information Gilad Erdan congratulated the organisers on a “important and inspiring event”.
A group of pro-Palestian activists held a protest outside the venue. Greater Manchester Police said they had no information on any arrests being made.
Ifwedon’t stand against terror, then terror will visit usintheUK