Dozens gather to demand release of hostages, support Israel at Destiny Church in Indio

Tom Coulter, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·3 min read
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Residents wave flags along Highway 111 in Indio during a pro-Israel rally organized by the local chapter of StandWithUs, an international organization focused on antisemitism and Israel. The rally focused on the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Residents wave flags along Highway 111 in Indio during a pro-Israel rally organized by the local chapter of StandWithUs, an international organization focused on antisemitism and Israel. The rally focused on the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

Dozens of valley residents held a rally outside Destiny Church in Indio on Sunday afternoon in support of Israel in its war with Hamas and to call for the release of all hostages who were captured in an early October attack against the country.

The rally was organized by StandWithUs, an international nonprofit focused on Israel and antisemitism, with the Jewish Federation of the Desert and the Israeli-American Council as co-sponsors. The rally marked the group’s third in the valley in recent weeks, following similar ones in Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert.

Sunday’s rally came as fighting has continued in Gaza, where Israeli forces have launched a military offensive for the last few weeks. The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other militants killed roughly 1,200 people in Israel, with about 240 Israelis captured, and Israel has responded with attacks that have killed thousands of Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Associated Press.

While over 100 hostages held by Hamas were released during a weeklong ceasefire last month, an estimated 138 people remain in captivity as of Dec. 10 — and they were the primary focus of Sunday’s rally in Indio.

Residents wave flags along Highway 111 in Indio during a pro-Israel rally organized by the local chapter of StandWithUs, an international organization focused on antisemitism and Israel. The rally focused on the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Residents wave flags along Highway 111 in Indio during a pro-Israel rally organized by the local chapter of StandWithUs, an international organization focused on antisemitism and Israel. The rally focused on the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

Marcia Stein, a Rancho Mirage resident and chair of the local StandWithUs chapter, said she’s wanted to organize the rallies to keep the fighting overseas in the front of people’s minds locally.

“I think it’s really important, because people can forget, and those hostages are still being held,” Stein said. “When a war goes on this long and continues, people forget.”

The rally began with a short program inside Destiny Church, with Indio Mayor Lupe Ramos Amith offering brief words of peace and affirmation to the crowd. The event also included a performance by Sapir Tzemah, a young singer who led renditions of Israel’s national anthem and a few other songs.

After the speakers, the rally then moved outside along Highway 111, where supporters waved Israeli flags and signs and greeted passing cars. Many cars honked their horns in support, while one passed by multiple times with a Palestinian flag and a “Free Palestine” sign on its rear window.

For some people, Sunday's rally was not their first display of solidarity following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that precipitated the ongoing conflict. Indio resident Susan Inbar, who is Israeli and stays in close touch with her family and friends in the region, has attended multiple rallies, saying she sees them as crucial to connecting with people who are unaware of the conflict.

“The war is getting to be a long one, and the hostage situation, I don’t know where they are,” Inbar said. “Nobody knows yet. Our soldiers are doing the best they can, but we still don’t have them back home.”

“I’m here to stay, even if I have to stay here by myself days and days,” she added from the street corner. “I do as much as I can. ... It’s a very difficult situation.”

Residents wave flags along Highway 111 in Indio during a pro-Israel rally organized by the local chapter of StandWithUs, an international organization focused on antisemitism and Israel. The rally focused on the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Residents wave flags along Highway 111 in Indio during a pro-Israel rally organized by the local chapter of StandWithUs, an international organization focused on antisemitism and Israel. The rally focused on the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Dozens gather to demand release of Israeli hostages at rally in Indio