Vigilant Squirrel Brigade: BRING THEM HOME NOW! Rally For israeli Hostages in NYC

October 19 , 2023. Duffy Square.
Bring Them Home NOW!
Powerful and deeply emotional.

Security was tight, as I expected. My press cameras were inspected to make sure they were actually cameras, but ... understood.

FLICKR Slideshow Part 1

Once in the press enclosure, I wasn't sure I was loving this location, surrounded by way too many cameras, but this was where I landed.* fellow journalists were getting great video and pictures of the crowd from outside the press area.* so, eventually, I too left this area.

FLICKR Slideshow Part 2

The evening began with U.S. National Anthem AND then Hatikvah (sung by Gilad Paz and Shiri Maimon).

Then, from the MC: "We no longer can be the Jews trembling in the shadows," actor and activist Yuval David, a dual Israeli and American citizen, "We know what happened to us then, and we know what is happening to us now." (the video is an excerpt of his opening remarks)

Elan Carr (CEO of Israeli American Council, quoted a by WPIX) “The (hostages) are suffering unimaginable agony every moment, and we are here to demand the release of those hostages as well as to stand for Israel’s inalienable right to defend itself decisively.”

Elan Carr then introduced Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) Senate Majority Leader and highest-ranking Jewish official in US history. The senator pledged America would do everything it can to rescue those held by the terrorists.

Video: NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who was supposed to be at the rally, bailed and sent a recorded message instead. He started awkwardly referring to Emmet Till, then once on message with the tragedy in Israel, he concluded by hoping for a PEACEFUL Resolution.(what would that entail?)

Ambassador Gilad Erdan (permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations since 2020) Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, declared that “Gaza will not have a moment of quiet until we bring them home and we will bring them. Israel will prevail.” (NY Post)

The parents of Israeli-American hostage,Omer Nuetra: Ronen and Orna Neutra. Omer had just turned 22.

The Acting General Council of Israel in NY- Aviv Ezra .

ALL were impassioned and committed to BRING THEM HOME-NOW.

Found this on line at Twitter X- "We as Muslims, don't hate any body for what they are , we deal with someone according to his actions with us. The issue in Palestine now is they want their land back from the occupying Zionist. Before Israel, there were a jews in Palestine and every thing was alright." NOT CORRECT, but this is what they have been TAUGHT

I left the press area to get a better look at the crowd.

It was huge and message oriented.

15 billboards in Times Sq were alive with the faces of those kidnapped. The mother and daughter below were freed the next day, BUT tragically there are still 200 hostages.

Israeli American Council demands the 200 hostages be freed NOW. However, Hamas has said it will not release the hostages until Israel ends its attack on Gaza, where some 2.3 million Palestinians live. The terrorists have also demanded the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.

SO, is a PEACEFUL resolution even possible when the hostages are not HOME?