Las Vegas Strip Becomes Scene of Pro-Israeli Demonstrations

Article by : Erik Gibbs Oct 31, 2023

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On Sunday night in Las Vegas, hundreds of individuals gathered to demand the safe release of hostages who were abducted from southern Israel and are still held by Hamas.

The “Bring Them Home Now!” demonstration occurred outside the Forum Shops at Caesars on the Las Vegas Strip, next to Caesars Palace.

During the rally, demonstrators displayed Israeli and U.S. flags and sang the Israeli national anthem, “Hatikvah,” in a show of support for the embattled nation.

Organizers placed around 30 empty strollers on the sidewalk, each bearing a picture of a missing child who had been kidnapped.

Ofra Etzion, the regional director of the Israeli-American Council, emphasized the call for the immediate return of these individuals without any conditions, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Hamas is believed to be holding 239 hostages in a complex network of tunnels in the Gaza Strip. More than half of the hostages are citizens of 25 different countries, including several Americans.

These individuals were kidnapped from southern Israel during a massacre on October 7. To date, only four of the kidnapped hostages have been released by Hamas.

Tragically, on that day, approximately 1,400 victims lost their lives, with reports suggesting that some were subject to horrifying acts, including beheadings, rape, immolation, or execution in front of their families.

In recent days, some family members of the hostages have supported the idea of negotiating their release in exchange for Hamas members currently imprisoned in Israel.

The proposal for a prisoner exchange, which involves trading thousands of terrorists for the release of one individual, is facing opposition from the Israeli government and other entities.

Dafna Noury, a Las Vegas resident, expressed her disapproval of the exchange concept at the rally, considering it morally objectionable.

Marjie Shapiro, another resident of Las Vegas, raised concerns about the effectiveness of such exchanges in preventing future incidents and questioned the trustworthiness of Hamas.

Currently, Israeli military forces are engaged in operations targeting Hamas leadership and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. This ongoing conflict has resulted in casualties on both sides and has hindered humanitarian organizations’ ability to provide aid to Gaza residents.

Additionally, as the situation continues to develop, instances of violence and threats directed at Jewish communities have been reported in various parts of the world, including the US.