Standing with Israel Around the World

It’s no secret that Israel is currently engaged in one of its most difficult and public wars of its short history. Operation Protective Edge is unlike any other armed conflict fought in Israel’s history. Why, you may ask? Operation Protective edge is a two front war: the first front being the battlegrounds in northern Gaza and the second front being the battlegrounds in the media. While our brothers risk their lives defending Israel on the first front, it is our duty and moral obligation to defend Israel on the second.

Many social media campaigns have risen and fallen over the course of the last few weeks. None left as strong an impact in the media as StandWithUs’s “Standing with Israel Around the World.” What first began as youth in the United States showing their support for the Jewish state by sending photos  of themselves wrapped in the vibrant flag of blue and white, transformed into an international phenomenon of supporters of Israel from every nook and corner of the world expressing their support for the beacon of democracy in a region of violence and turmoil.

“Standing with Israel Around the World” is a campaign unlike any other. It has given people from countries that would have otherwise never been given the opportunity to raise their voices, a chance to take a stand and voice their opinions in a conflict everyone seems to have an opinion about nowadays. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. These pictures are worth millions.

Photos have come in from traditionally supportive countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, the most shocking and impactful photos are those from countries that traditionally oppose Israel such as Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan. These people have taken a stand against their governments and a stand in the name of peace.

Many of the photos were accompanied by short messages and hopes for peace. Given their residence in countries that do not support Israel, some participants have asked StandWithUs to keep their names anonymous.

For example, this Israel supporter form Afghanistan said, “We love Israel for defending their people and punishing these Hamas terrorists…here’s my passport to say thank you for standing against Hamas and removing the threats of rocket attack towards Israeli civilians.”

Bjorn from Sweden said, “Wish the fighting would stop. But it won’t happen until Arab nations accept that Israel has the right to exist.”

This supporter from Iran sent his photo and his message of peace saying, “I as an Iranian shall stand with the one and only Jewish state on the planet. God bless Iran and Israel!”

This couple from Germany said, “We are a married couple living in Germany. My husband is from the United States, where we met. We both love and support Israel with all our hearts. We are Christians and pray every day for the safety of the nation of Israel and Jews around the world. We stand with Israel.”

This campaign has allowed the people of the world to transcend geographical boundaries and overcome cultural divides to stand together in support of humanity, in support of Israel and in support of peace.

StandWithUs has received submissions from Denmark, Mexico, Russia, Finland, Japan, Uruguay, Hungary, Italy, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, and the United Kingdom, just to name a few.

The project serves to show the international community that despite what is often one-sided, biased reporting in the media, the people of the world  stand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in the state of Israel. More importantly, this project serves to show the people of Israel that there are thousands of people around the world who support them, who believe in them and who stand with them, now and forever.

This brave soul, an Egyptian citizen named Ahmed, shared the following video declaring his support for the state of Israel. Watch the video here.

StandWithUs’s “Standing with Israel Around the World” campaign has sparked a global revolution, empowering the people of the world to give voice to their innermost thoughts and emotions and giving them a space in which they feel comfortable sharing them. It has inspired Iranians to show their support for a country that their government has sworn to destroy. It has motivated Americans to reaffirm their commitment to their strongest ally. It has galvanized the people of the Arab world to set aside their cultural differences in the name of human rights and dignity.

And perhaps, most importantly, this campaign has ignited the early sparks of peace, as these young Palestinians show their support for Israel in freeing the people of Gaza from Hamas.

For more information about the campaign, visit the StandWithUs Facebook page here. To see the full album of over 1,000 photos view the Flikr album here.

We, the people of the world, truly hope and pray that peace will come soon, for the sake of the Israelis, for the sake of the Palestinians, and for the sake of every person living in this world.

“Seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalms 34:14)

Amen.