A video of an former Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldier, who attended a Palestinian Freedom rally in Prince George, is going viral online.
Israeli-Canadian Leif Manson attended the rally on Oct. 28, along which featured protesters holding signs and waving at cars along Ospika Boulevard.
“This event is to raise awareness and provide advocacy for the innocent Palestinian civilians that are being injured and killed by the current events in Gaza,” said Mohamed Shubair in a news release, who is the Palestinian UNBC medical student who organized the event.
“We believe that these atrocities should be stopped and that the loss of any life through bloodshed is deeply saddening.”
Manson brought a Palestinian flag to the rally and was interviewed by local freelance journalist Nadia Mansour.
“I’m probably the only person here with a Palestinian flag and I’m also the only Israeli citizen here probably,” said Manson in the video.
He said 40 years ago he was a soldier in the IDF, which he described as a hopeful time, but says he witnessed the peace process sabotaged at every step.
“I am just here to show my support,” he says before becoming emotional. “When I was 21 if someone told me I’d be standing at a Palestinian freedom rally, I would have told them they were crazy but over the 40 years I’ve just seen so much bloodshed that even Israelis are being used by evil forces in the world – there’s just so many lies being told about the truth of what’s going on there.”
He then explains that he is tearing up because “it’s horrible. It’s horrible what is happening.”
🇵🇸🇮🇱 Former IDF soldier tears up when asked why he’s at a Pro-Palestine rally.
— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) November 4, 2023
“I just saw a Mafia run country.” pic.twitter.com/9crHoGKBLV
The health ministry in Gaza is now reporting that the death toll has exceeded 10,000 and has described the ongoing war as the deadliest round of fighting since Israel’s establishment 75 years ago.
The war erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stormed into Israel from Gaza and killed over 1,400 people and took some 240 others hostages. Israel responded with a campaign of blistering airstrikes, followed by a ground invasion.
Some 1.5 million Palestinians, or around 70 per cent of Gaza's population, have fled their homes since the war began.
The video of Manson has been shared widely across the internet with over 2 million views on X (formerly Twitter), over 300 thousand likes on Tiktok and 1.5 million views and 160 thousand views on Instagram reels.
- with files from the Associated Press
