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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Robert Dex

Thousands gather in Trafalgar Square for pro-Israel rally

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman was among thousands of people who gathered in Trafalgar Square for a pro-Israel rally.

People at the We Stand With Israel rally held posters bearing the faces of hostages being held by Hamas as well as ones reading: “100 days in hell”.

The crowd chanted “Bring Them Home Now” and cheered as an organiserdeclared on stage he had “never been prouder to be Jewish”.

The Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely thanked the crowd for “100 days of consistent support”.

“Thank you London, thank you for 100 days of consistent support in Israel with its most justified war,” she said during an address in Trafalgar Square.

She said the estimated 130 remaining hostages “continue to live anightmare with every passing second” and issued a fresh “demand” for the immediate release of all hostages.

Ms Braverman said the remaining hostages caught up in the conflict in the Middle East need to be brought home “now”.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman at the pro-Israel rally in Trafalgar Square (PA)

She told the PA news agency: “I’m here to stand in solidarity with Israel.

“It has been 100 days since innocent people have been taken hostage bythe Hamas terrorists and we need to bring them home now.

“Bring them home now.”

Some people brandished Iranian flags, depicting a sun and lion in thecentre, which one man said represented opposition to the current Iranian regime.

The UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues said those who took partin a pro-Palestine march on Saturday are “happy to walk with people who areantisemitic”.

Speaking at the rally, Lord Eric Pickles said: “I stand before you a committed and unapologetic Zionist.

“I am proud to stand with Israel.”

He said: “The people who were marching yesterday, the overwhelmingmajority of them are not antisemitic but they are happy to walk with people who are antisemitic.”

The President of Israel Isaac Herzog thanked the King for his support in a video message played to the rally and also thanked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer.

He said: “In the face of those who wish to scare us into silence, you’vestood up and spoken out with clarity, pride and passion but it isn’t onlywithin the Jewish community, across every branch of British leadership… thetruth reigns clear.

“In the name of the state and people of Israel, I thank you all.

“I want to thank His Majesty King Charles III.

“I want to thank Prime Minister Sunak.

“I want to thank the UK Government and I want to thank Opposition leaderStarmer and his colleagues.”

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