TORONTO — Hundreds of Jews and Christians gathered in Toronto on Aug. 24 to stand in solidarity with Israel and pray for the safety and security of Israelis as the war with Hamas continues to rage.
Pastors, rabbis, community leaders and politicians spoke in support of Israel, and led the gathering in prayer at the Revivaltime Tabernacle.
Charles McVety, the national director of Christians United for Israel and president of Canada Christian College, explained why it’s important for Jews and Christians to stand together.
“We are bound together with an unprecedented unique bond… We have this bond because we fight against the same enemy,” McVety said.
“More than 60 Israeli soldiers have died fighting Hamas in this recent conflict. The least we can do is pay tribute to them. They have died in our stead so that we can live peacefully… This is not just Israel’s fight, this is the whole world’s fight.”
Israel’s consul general to Toronto and Western Canada, DJ Schneeweiss, thanked Canada’s leadership for its unwavering support of Israel.
“I stand here as the representative of a country under fire, in a war not of our choosing. We do not seek to teach our children to have to bear weapons, we are forced to teach our children to bear weapons,” Schneeweiss said.
“But the Jewish people are strong. We are strong in our partnerships with others including our wonderful Christian friends. We are not alone.”
He said he wanted to bring a message of hope and encouragement to Israel supporters that “Israel is strong and remains strong and our moral compass remains true. We refuse to be defined by the sum of our battles. We are much more than what our enemies try to tell the world we are, and we are much more than what our enemies force us to do. We will defend ourselves, of course, but we will continue to build our country, to build our society, to make it strong.”
Frank Dimant, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, prayed for “the welfare of our soldiers, for the men and women who stand on the frontlines. We pray for the citizens of Israel who every day face the missiles of the enemy.”
As he thanked the Christian community for its support of the Jewish People, Dimant said that Jews must also speak out for Christian communities, such as the one in Iraq’s largest Christian town, Qaraqosh, who are being murdered by the jihadist organization ISIS, the Islamic State.
“I have found it very strange, very troubling, that we hear about the Christians under attack… and the world seems uncomfortable defending them. Why are we not defending Christians?” asked Canadian Finance Minister Joe Oliver
“It seems the only people supporting these Christians are the only people supporting Israel because we believe in life, we believe in freedom, and that people should practise their faith without fear.”
In reference to Israel’s war with Hamas, Oliver claimed that Hamas is more concerned with winning a propaganda war by using its citizens as human shields and forcing Israel to kill innocent people.
“That’s why it is so important to stand up and deny them that victory,” he said.
Conservative MP Mark Adler said it is not just Israel that is under threat, but all democracies, including Canada.
“It is our values, it is our freedom, liberty, the rule of law – that’s what is being threatened here today,” Adler said, adding that when Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he stands with Israel through fire and water, he is not only supporting Jewish and Israeli values, but also Canadian values.
“That’s why it is important for all of us, whether you are Jewish or Christian, it doesn’t matter, to just stand together."