Members of Windsor’s Jewish community gather as conflict in Israel grows | CBC News

Omir Azriel arrived in Windsor, Ont., two years ago from Israel.  Also a veteran of the Israel Defence Forces, he says he will soon return to fight in the growing conflict in Israel as a reserve member. 

“I got called to get back and get drafted,” said Azriel.

“Probably in the next few days I will get back to Israel, connect with my unit and continue to fight.”

Azriel and hundreds of others gathered at Congregation Beth El in Windsor on Tuesday night for a gathering in solidarity with Israel after recent attacks by Hamas militants over the weekend. 

The conflict has now claimed at least 1,900 lives. 

Azriel says he came to Canada alone, and all of his family and friends are still in Israel. He says they are anxious and scared to leave their homes. 

“Everyone will know these kinds of acts are not freedom fighting. These kinds of acts are not humane at all. This is not supposed to happen.”

Tuesday’s gathering was the largest gathering of Windsor’s Jewish community, according to Dan Brotman, since he moved to the city. 

Brotman says people united in solidarity and in sadness. 

“The recent events in Israel are the biggest tragedy to befall on the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” he said.

“We came together in unity tonight to support the state of Israel, to support the soldiers and the Israel Defence Forces, and to pray for the hostages and the families of the … victims who were brutally murdered over the past four days.”

Brotman acknowledged Windsor’s large Middle Eastern population, and urged peace, despite disagreements over the situation in Israel and Gaza. 

“We cannot import this conflict to Windsor-Essex,” he said. “We do not have to agree on what’s happening between Israelis and Palestinians, but we do have to agree to treat each other with dignity and respect.” 

“I call upon our elected leaders to not fan the flames between our population.”

There was a small police presence at the event, Brotman added. 

Rally in support of Palestinian people planned for Thursday

The rally comes after Hamas militants came into as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip on Saturday. Gun battles in the area lasted hours, including at a local music festival. Militants held hostages in two towns. 

In response, Israel launched a series of airstrikes into Gaza, that have flattened residential buildings and other gathering places.

The University of Windsor Palestinian Solidarity Group is hosting a rally in solidarity with the people of the Palestinian territories, on Thursday at Windsor’s riverfront. 

Rasha Zaid is a Palestinian woman living in Windsor, with family currently in Gaza.

She says she will be attending Thursday’s rally. 

“The more the crowd, the stronger the message,” said Zaid.

“A lot of people are unaware of what’s happening in Palestine and in the conflicts going on. People have misinformation about what is actually happening.”

Zaid says her family in the Gaza Strip are fearful, and are being told to evacuate — but there is nowhere to go. 

 “They’re saying we’re just defending our right because they’re attacking us. They’re attacking because you stripped them from their human rights, from their land, from their people, from their homes.”