Grassroots groups will come together for a candlelight vigil to honour victims of the recent spate of terror attacks in Israel.
The event on Sunday will be held outside the Israeli embassy in London, with attendees encouraged to bring yahrzeit candles and signs reading “#AmYisraelChai” in support of Israel.
The Campaign For Truth, Alliance for Israelis in Great Britain (Agiv), Eye On Antisemitism and charity Yad B’Yad UK have organised the 5pm vigil, which will commemorate the four Israelis killed this week.
Members of the activist group Global Israeli Leadership (GIL) are attempting to arrange simultaneous vigils in South Africa and the United States.
Agiv chair and GIL co-chair Anat Koren said that the popularity of the event, only posted online on Wednesday night, was due to its emotional pull.
“It's a symbolic act, one which is very important for the people in Israel. They are suffering. There have been so many incidents, and it’s increasing,” she said.
“People here are hearing about it and sympathising. It's something we can do, at the very least, to show our sympathy.”
Ms Koren, an Israeli-born activist who founded Agiv earlier this year, said that the recent stabbings and shootings were unlike past attacks.
“It's not in the West Bank, it’s in Israel. It's different. You can be walking on the street in Israel and get stabbed. It feels dangerous everywhere.
“People are uncomfortable in Israel because it's very hard to fight this kind of terror. We don’t know where it's going to lead us. It doesn’t look good; it's very worrying.
“We have to stand with Israel and support them.”
Campaign For Truth founder Sharon Klaff said that showing solidarity was the main motivation behind her group’s involvement.
“Israelis are starting to feel isolated, and they need to know they're not. We need to help that situation as much as we can, and people want to commune with each other when bad things happen.”
She called on the community to join the vigil: “This is our people, our history, and we all have someone we know there. This is who we are as Jews, and we’re being attacked. Israel is being attacked.”
