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 Jewish students demonstrate for Israeli MIA's in front of UN Headquarters in Jerusalem (photo: Joe Malcolm) More than 100 Jewish students from around the world joined together at the United Nations Headquarters in Jerusalem for a candlelight vigil demanding that captured Israeli soldiers be brought home. The group gathered at 8:30 pm last night, at the Haas Promenade of Jerusalem's Talpiot neighborhood, for an evening of song, dance, prayer, poetry and learning. Such dynamic speakers as Haim Avraham, father of soldier Benny Avraham, who was kidnapped nine months ago by Hizbullah terrorists, addressed attendees, among others. The vigil was the culmination of a full day of creative educational events, including street theater, interactive performance art and petitions promoting public awareness, education and proactive initiatives towards the release of the eight missing IDF soldiers, some of whom have been held in captivity for almost 20 years. Beginning at 2:00 pm, a variety of creative educational programs were conducted throughout Jerusalem. The day's events were organized by B'Ahavat Yisrael/For the Love of Israel, a group representing thousands of Jewish students throughout North America dedicated to conveying to every Jew a genuine awareness that the pain of any Jew is the pain of every Jew. B'Ahavat Yisrael is working today in coordination with the International Coalition for Missing Israeli Soldiers. Eight Israeli soldiers are being held captive by terrorists in Lebanon. Three of them were kidnapped in October, 2000 wile patrolling northern Israel in a recognized by the UN as sovereign Israeli territory. Recent events paint a clear picture of the scandalous role played by the United Nations International Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the most recent kidnapping. The UN refuses to hand over the videotapes of the kidnapping, perhaps to conceal the evidence of either gross negligence or complicity. B'Ahavat Yisrael represents thousands of Jewish university students in the United States and Canada. Committed tot he Jewish people, the group is working to address the urgent needs facing the Jewish people and Israel. The International Coalition for Missing Israeli Soldiers is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public advocacy group dedicated to securing the release of Israel's missing soldiers. ICMIS works closely with the families of the captured Israeli soldiers to promote the issue in both Israel and abroad, cultivating political and public pressure to bring about the release of the soldiers. ICMIS is the only organization in the world solely dedicated to resolving this issue. |
