Vigil held in LA to honor hundreds of victims killed in Israel attacks
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A vigil was held at the Stephen Wise Temple in Los Angeles Sunday to honor the memory of the hundreds of victims killed in the attack in Israel.
"This is the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust," said Israel Bachar with the Consul General of Israel.
L.A. City leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass, joined members of the Jewish community for the vigil.
Rabbi Noah Farkas, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, says the brutal attack and kidnappings by militants have touched the lives of the people in Los Angeles and around the world.
"There 's not a family in Israel or in the Jewish community the world over who does not have a friend or a friend of a friend who was murdered or wounded, or is now on the front line," said Farkas.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Federal Building in Westwood waving Israeli flags and angrily condemning Hamas for launching the attack.
"They shot over 5,000 missiles into Israel...they killed hundreds of people. This was an unprovoked attack. This is state-sponsored terrorism............it must be stopped in the same way that Al Qaeda needed to be stopped," said Matthew Goldfarb.
The violence raises concerns about the rise in hate incidents targetting Jewish residents of the Los Angeles area. L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna, who attended Sunday's vigil, says that his department is taking steps to keep everyone safe.
"We're gonna have a lot of visible presence around other Jewish facilities and Mosques as well. We're looking at all sides," said Luna. "We don't want any violence."
Jewish leaders are calling on community members to stand strong with Israel.
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