Approximately 20 Georgetown students led by the Georgetown Israeli Alliance gathered at George Washington University Monday to participate in a rally and vigil honoring the victims of the suicide bombings in Israel last weekend.

Roughly 300 people showed their support by raising Israeli flags and signs with slogans such as “Stand Together,” and “Rally Against Terror.” The crowd lit candles in Dixie cups and listened to speeches from prominent members of the Jewish community.

On a makeshift stage set to a backdrop of cameras and a sign reading, “End the Terror Now,” GWU student Mosheh Oinounou opened the event by addressing the effects of the bombings.

“The helplessness, the confusion and the excruciating pain that comes with terrorism we cannot comprehend,” he said. “Terrorists have no respect for life, not even their own.”

The two Palestinian suicide bombers who attacked a busy street in Jerusalem last Saturday evening killed over 25 people and injured a number of teenagers. A car bomb that detonated shortly after the first attack injured at least a several dozen others. The cafe-lined street was a place that became a lively hangout for teenagers after weekly Shabbat services, according to The Washington Post. “It was kind of like the M St. and Wisconsin of Georgetown,” GIA board member Nir Hauser (COL ’03) said.

GW student Gabriel Gershowitz also spoke at the vigil, discussing the emotional and humanitarian effects of the bombings and their effect on the value of freedom.

“It’s not about politics, it’s about people,” Gershowitz said. “It’s about unfulfilled dreams. It’s about love for human life. It’s about what’s in our hearts.”

Throughout the vigil and rally, speakers reflected on the Sept. 11 attacks, drawing comparisons between Israeli’s and Americans’ similar positions as victims of terrorism.

While Eric Magnus, foreign policy analyst with the America Israel Public Affairs Committee, was speaking about the political dimension of the situation, a man interrupted him shouting. The man, who was yelling, “There will never be peace! There will never be peace!” was escorted away by two police officers. Despite this incident, however, GU students said the event was relatively more tame than they expected based on their experiences with similar events.

Nir Boms, from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, also spoke about the importance of preserving peace in the face of tragedy.

“Sorrow and pain may remind us of something, and that is the hope that we refuse to remove from our hearts,” Boms said. “Suffering can serve as a guide for us because it shows we know what is right and what is wrong.”

Boms stressed the need to fight for peace, even if it requires doing so forcefully. Aviva Raz-Shechter, counselor of Public Affairs for the Israeli Embassy discussed the political side of the situation in his speech. “Yasser Arafat – either you are part of the free world, or you are part of the Taliban.”

The crowd erupted into cheer at his statement.

GIA president Solomon Kalach (COL ’03) said that since the event at GW included both a rally and vigil, it had a political aspect. “At Georgetown, to have [a rally and vigil] at the same time would be ridiculous because a rally seems too confrontational,” Kalach said. “By taking a delegation there, [GU students] did support the cause, but we were not involved in the planning.”

Gille Nevel (MSB ’02) mentioned the importance of planning events that enable others to be responsive their situation.

“It’s important for us to be sensitive to other students because we want them to be sensitive to us, so most of the events that we have on campus are more cultural and educational than political,” Nevel said. “They’re less incendiary.”

The vigil and rally concluded with the reading of a letter from GW student Mark Rosenberg, in which he posed the question, “Who will stand up and say my blood is not cheap?”

Rosenberg pointed out in his letter that Monday’s gathering was simply “the people of Israel coming together, eyes wide open and calling evil `evil.'”

Vice President of the Young Arab Leadership Alliance Samer Oweida (SFS ’04) said that the events are a constant reminder that as soon as facts are brought to the table and emotions are set aside, both sides can come to peace. “Both sides of this entire conflict have suffered unbelievably and we sympathize when civilians have lost their lives,” Oweida said. “At a time when we’re mourning lives, the best we can hope to do is come to a long-lasting peace with facts, not emotions.”

As the crowd filed out of the square they joined together in dance and song. Some united in singing the Israeli National Anthem.

“It was impressive how much warmth and compassion there was when they were singing and dancing in the end – that was solidarity,” GIA board member David Kahane (SFS ’05) said.

The hour-long vigil and rally entitled, “U.S.-Israel Solidarity Rally Against Terrorism,” was co-sponsored by the GIA and GWU organizations.