SOME 150 people gathered in front of the Red House on February 18 to show their support for Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas militants in Palestine.
The crowd, which supports a peaceful end to the ongoing conflict, assembled at around 1.30 pm and walked around the Red House while waving Israeli flags.
Organiser of the event, Bishop Dr Victor Gill of the Redemption Christian Centre in Success Village, Laventille admitted the issue is a polarising one but said his support for Israel stems from his belief in the Bible.
“We stand for Israel because we believe that God has given Israel rights to the land and that they have a right to exist.”
The war between Israel and Hamas-led Palestine began on October 7, 2023 when 3,000 Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip invaded southern Israel and killed more than 1,100 people including almost 800 civilians.
The militants also held 253 people captive and took them back across the border to the Gaza Strip.
Israel declared a state of war and launched a targeted military response which included thousands of air strikes and a ground offensive that has left entire neighbourhoods flattened.
Despite warnings from the Israeli military ahead of the strikes, many Palestinians ignored the evacuation orders and the Gaza Health Ministry says more than 25,000 people are now dead and another 62,000 have been wounded.
The Associated Press has reported that the war has left 1.9 million people displaced in Gaza out of a population of 2.3 million.
Asked about the perception that Israel’s response is too forceful, Gill said he believed Israel had a right to defend itself.
“I believe they are facing an existential threat. When you have an enemy that says ‘We want to eradicate you from the river to the sea’ and ‘We don't want no peace with Israel,’ then they are for destruction.”
“We saw what happened on October 7, and it's not the first time. So I believe Israel has to defend itself.”
Gill said the support for Israel is not an anti-Palestine stance but rather a wish that Israel be left in peace.
“We are not against this one or against that one. We are simply for Israel. We are standing with Israel the right to exist in peace in the land.”
Pressed for his thoughts on the war, Gill said he did not want to be controversial.
“I didn't come here to stir up anything about the war. I have one position and that is to stand with Israel.
He added despite his support for Israel he hopes the war ends soon.
[caption id="attachment_1064664" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Bishop Dr Victor Gill of the Redemption Christian Centre, Laventille, centre, led a group of pro-Israel supporters in a march around the Red House, Port of Spain, on February 18. - Photo by Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
“Lives are precious on either side. Human life is precious. I have prayed for people on both sides that God will save them, that they will come to knowledge of the truth. But for me, as a theologian, as a pastor, I understand the theological dynamics of all of this. And so it's in my con
