While thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have marched across the globe, there has also been an unusual surge in pro-Israel rallies on four continents.
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The shows of support, which have been organized by various bodies in over 16 countries, have included rallies with Israeli flags and signs expressing the right of the Jewish state to defend itself.
In Winnipeg, Canada, hundreds of Israel supporters stood up to a large crowd of Palestinian supporters at city hall, with a large police contingency serving as a buffer between the sides.
In the United States, numerous pro-Israel rallies were held in Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles and Boston. Galina Blank, 50, attended the rally in Los Angeles to "show my unwavering support for Israel … she [Israel] is not alone. We are with her and will support her until the end."
Along the support in countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Georgia and Germany, pro-Israel rallies were also held in countries that are lesser-known for involvement in the conflict or support for Israel, such as Japan and South Africa, where the ruling party harbors clear anti-Israel sentiments.
In several countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Panama, Slovenia and Germany, the Israeli flag waved on government buildings.
Meanwhile, as the IDF was fighting on the ground to defend Israeli civilians, students were fighting out of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya to defend Israel's good name on social media sites.
The fighting in Gaza has sparked an ongoing wave of anti-Israel incitement across social media platforms. In response, a war-room of sorts has been established at the IDC, where some 180 volunteers gather to voice Israel's position. The teams of volunteers identify flashpoints of hate speech and false information and try to provide a counter-balance.
For example, the students have produced dozens of original content items containing images and videos in different languages in an effort to disseminate them wide and far. Others are tasked with flagging and reporting malicious and false information to the social media companies themselves.
Prof. Uriel Reichman, the president and founder of the IDC, said: "Members of the Public Diplomacy Program and activists ACT.IL activists fight year-round against anti-Israel activity online. The volunteers in our war-room provide a direct and independent student voice that reverberates across the globe."
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