When I decided to attend the #STLForIsrael rally on Sunday afternoon, I hadn’t planned on writing about it. I just wanted to go and show my support. I’m not going to lie — I was a little uneasy about attending, wondering if there would be counter-protesters (or worse), concerned things might get ugly. The flyer promoting the event indicated that professional security would be provided — and it was taking place in the courtyard outside the St. Louis County police headquarters. Still, having seen the throngs of anti-Israel protests both in the U.S. and abroad, I was nervous.
I arrived a bit early and didn’t see much activity, so I parked and waited a few minutes. Soon, I saw groups of people with Israeli flags and signs walking toward the designated rally space, so I ventured in that direction. As I approached the courtyard, I kept surveying the surroundings. I did see one young man whiz by on a scooter with a backpack and glance over at the event area. I noticed the police officer directly in front of me eyeing him, as well, but he sped on through, and I saw no sign of him after.
I wasn’t sure if I’d see anyone I knew, though I suspected I might. Sure enough, one of the first people I saw was my NewsTalkSTL friend and colleague Ken Williams, Executive Producer of The Vic Porcelli show (and compliments of whom most of the images and sound clips included herein are provided).
Before long, the courtyard had filled, and the event began. I didn’t attempt a headcount, but on a rough guess, I’d say there were between 200 and 250 people in attendance. There were seven or eight speakers, including a rabbi, several pastors, and a young woman from Israel who’s attending law school in St. Louis, whose story was especially compelling. There were several local political candidates in attendance as well, including Missouri State Rep. Adam Schwadron, who recently announced his candidacy for Secretary of State; Will Scharf, who’s running for Attorney General; and St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, who announced he would be challenging Cori Bush (D) for her House seat in Missouri’s First Congressional District just last Monday.
Amazing showing at #StLouis Stands with Israel.
— A.J. Moll𝕏 (@moll_aj) November 5, 2023
Missouri Political Dignitaries included @AJSchwadron @willscharf @GeorgeHruza #stl #MoLeg pic.twitter.com/hD6n0H698u
One thing that stood out to me during the event was that it was calm — peaceful even. Sentiments expressed were sober and resolute; prayers were for the safety of Israelis — and innocent civilians in Gaza — and the return of the hostages. There were no calls for genocide, for ethnic cleansing, for gasing a group of people, or for destroying anyone other than Hamas, the terrorist group responsible for the horrific attacks of October 7.
Burt Garland, a board member of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, spoke to the nature of the battle:
"Israel's surrounded by neighbors who hate it. Israel's primary nemesis persistently threatens to wipe Israel off the face of the map. And in Iran, they do this while chanting, 'Death to America!' Don't make any mistake about it — America's been at war with Iran since 1979. And Iran doesn't want just Israel wiped off the face of the Earth; the radical leadership in Iran also wants America destroyed. We are literally — literally — witnessing a battle between good and evil. We are all part of this battle between good and evil. Every single one of you who is here today is choosing to stand for good and righteousness."
Pastor Jonathan Tremaine ("JT") Thomas of Civil Righteousness St. Louis spoke out against antisemitism and the improper characterizations of Israel:
"As St. Louisans, we renounce antisemitism in all forms, committing to boldly stand against antisemitic speech and actions within our own communities and around the globe. We say: 'Never again!' We reject the growing narrative that Israel is a colonial apartheid state. We assess that the Israeli population is composed of both religious and non-religious Jews of every ethnicity."
Tremaine also elicited a passionate reaction from the crowd when he called for publicly rebuking Cori Bush for her antisemitic stance and when he proclaimed Israel's historical and biblical right to exist:
"We will only support elected officials whose words and actions oppose antisemitism and who support Israel's right to exist... The person who represents this district in this area, Congresswoman Cori Bush, needs to be rebuked publicly for her antisemitic stance against the State of Israel. As people of Jewish and Christian faith, we believe that the Jewish people have both a historic and a biblical right to their ancestral homeland of Israel, whose boundaries are described in Ezekial 47: 13-20. We bear witness to history, which shows that Jerusalem is the ancient capital of Israel, from the time of King David to the present day. Both Jewish and Christian eschatology attest that it will remain so eternally."
Following the speakers, the crowd moved to the street, where they stood silently for roughly 40 minutes, with pieces of tape with a word or phrase like "Shalom," "Hope," or "Peace" written on them placed over their mouths.
During that time, cars honked in support as they passed by. At one point, a woman with a guitar moved among the crowd, playing several songs, including "Am Yisrael Chai" ("The People of Israel Live").
It was a moving experience, one I was glad to be a part of. The message was about support and solidarity, not destruction, not hate. It stood in stark contrast to the anti-Israel/pro-Hamas protests we've seen both in the U.S. and abroad. I wasn't alone in noticing the difference.
Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed a trend in rallies.
— A.J. Moll𝕏 (@moll_aj) November 5, 2023
The Pro Hamas crowd shouts about death, theft, and violence.
The Pro Israel crowd sings songs about peace and justice, calls for the release of innocent hostages.
I didn't realize it at the time, but while those of us attending the #STLForIsrael rally were calling for the release of the hostages and singing about the resilience of the people of Israel, an anti-Israel protest was taking place just a few miles away, with a decidedly different atmosphere.
Anti-Israel protesters physically attack Jewish people for carrying Israeli flags in St Louis, USA.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 6, 2023
🇺🇸🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/R6XNz6wiUP
Another video surfaces of protesters ripping Israel flag out of the hands of a Jewish woman in St. Louis Missouri @Eyalbenabraham #stlouis @StopAntisemites @KMOV @visegrad24 #stl
— A.J. Moll𝕏 (@moll_aj) November 6, 2023
https://t.co/hluhpQ982u
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