TORONTO—

Rallies were held in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, London, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. Rally-goers in Toronto saw a live satellite broadcast from Be’er Sheva in southern Israel, which was also shown via webcast at the other Canadian events.

In Toronto alone, an estimated 5,000-plus people filled the sanctuary and overflow seating at Beth Tzedec Congregation, where keynote speaker Alon Pinkas, a political commentator and former Israeli consul general in New York, stressed that Hamas is “not just a terrorist organization” or splinter group.

“This is the government of Gaza lobbing missiles, rockets and mortar shells every day on southern Israel.”

Pinkas said Israel’s “Cast Lead” operation in Gaza, which began late last month, should have been called “Push Came to Shove.”

Israel’s “sole military objective was to inflict on Hamas a punishing and overwhelming military strike, hopefully with the goal to significantly reduce their ability… and their willingness to launch rockets into Israel,” Pinkas said.

Hamas is “the tip of a broader or wider conflict” with Iran, he added, emphasizing that “Hamas is an outpost of Iran. Have no doubt about it.”

Israel’s political objective, said Pinkas, is “to create a durable, sustainable, but more importantly, enforceable mechanism that would render Hamas’ ability to even hold missiles impossible.” It would require international assistance, he noted.

He added that it would be counterproductive for Israel to re-occupy the Gaza Strip.

Addressing media accusations of a disproportionate response by Israel, Pinkas suggested that military response should be proportionate “to the pain of the threat you’re facing” rather than to pain inflicted.

“More Germans were killed in World War II than British. That didn’t make the Germans right,” he said.

“If it was all about quid pro quo, Israel would indiscriminately launch 3,000 missiles into Gaza, or would blow up buses or pizza parlours in Gaza.”

Indicting Hamas for “stashing missiles and explosives in schools, hospitals, apartments and mosques,” Pinkas said that “no children should be put on a balcony against people shooting at them.

“At the end of all this, there’s going to have to be a political process,” he said. “We’re going to have to find a way to coexist.”

Israel’s consul general in Toronto, Amir Gissin, said Israel is fighting two wars: one on the ground in Gaza, and the other – a virtual war for public opinion – all over the world.

Gissin told the audience they could help win the virtual war. “Remember to spend the time on the Internet writing letters to the editor, commenting on articles you like or don’t like. It makes a change. It makes people listen. It makes people read.”

Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl, Beth Tzedec’s senior rabbi, urged the crowd to “support Israel in any way you can,” including planning a visit, and giving money for special relief.

Peter Kent, Canada’s minister of state of foreign affairs, stressed that Canada continues to be “unequivocal in supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against the continued attacks of Hamas.”

He said the Canadian government is “urging the continued efforts of the international community to achieve an immediate, sustainable and durable ceasefire and would allow Israel to live beside its neighbours in peace without the threat of continued attacks.

Kent, whose short speech was interrupted several times by applause, said that “our hearts go out” to all innocents who are suffering, on both sides of the conflict.

MC Julia Koschitzky said, “We want Israel to know we believe it has done everything possible to avert this latest crisis in Gaza, and that Israel has a right and responsibility to defend each and every one of its citizens.”

In a pre-recorded interview with Yossi Tanuri, director general of UIA Federation Canada’s Israel office, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel doesn’t want much. “We just want that our children, our families, in every part of the country, will live in safety and security.”

The Toronto event was organized by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy, Canadian Jewish Congress, the Canada Israel Committee and the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee.

Federationhas set up a southern Israel relief fund with proceeds to go to trauma relief programs, hotline counselling, respite for children and computers for youngsters to continue their schoolwork while not in class.

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