Posted on 05/11/21
Hundreds of activists held a pro-Israel demonstration in Lod on Tuesday night in response to the riots that occurred in the city on Monday night.
Led by the Zionist organization Im Tirtzu that organized the demonstration, the activists waved Israeli flags and encouraged security forces to continue their battle against terror.
On Monday night, Arab rioters in the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood of Lod set ablaze a Jewish elementary school and pre-army academy, damaged a museum, destroyed Jewish property, and tried to torch the local police station.
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Rioters were also filmed waving Hamas flags and taking down Israeli flags and replacing them with Palestine Liberation Organization flags.
Outside the new municipality building located in Lod's Old City, rioters torched cars, threw rocks and fireworks at police, blocked roads and broke windows of Jewish cars.
Activists from Im Tirtzu distributed hundreds of flags and decried the detention of a Jewish resident of Lod who in self-defense shot and killed an Arab rioter on Monday night.
Dvorah Gonen, a resident of Lod whose son Danny was murdered in a 2015 terror attack, said at the demonstration: "We're sick and tired of seeing these Israel haters rear their ugly heads. What happened here in the city crossed a red line, and we are calling on the government and law enforcement agencies to put an end to the chaos taking place throughout Israel. These Israel haters are succeeding in harming the coexistence that so many people have invested a lot of time and effort in creating."
Eytan Meir, a resident of Lod who participated in the demonstration, said: "We came here to raise the morale of the city's residents and to send a clear message to the terrorists that we will not be deterred."
Meir continued: "It is inconceivable that in the year 2021, Jews in Israel need to fear for their lives when walking down the street. The time has come for the Israeli government to use a firm hand when dealing with these terrorists and to show them that terrorism will not be tolerated. Until that happens, there will only be further acts of violence against Jews."
Yehuda Sharabany, Im Tirtzu's Field Coordinator who led the demonstration, said: "Lod is a microcosm of the entire wave of terror engulfing the country. We are here to strengthen the residents of Lod and the rest of Israel's citizens who standing strong during these difficult times. We are calling on the heads of the law enforcement agencies to take a strong stance against these terrorists who are trying to harm our country."