BRADENTON, Fla. — Manatee County leaders issued a proclamation on Tuesday to declare that they stand in solidarity with the people of Israel.
Several members of the Jewish Community came together at the chambers of the County Board of Commissioners for a reading of the proclamation. The move comes just seven months after deadly Hamas attacks drew Israel into a war with the terrorist organization.
County commissioners said the proclamation would help ensure people don't forget about the hostages still in captivity.
One of the survivors of the Oct. 7 attack on a music festival in Southern Israel was in the meeting.
"To be here to tell my story to the whole world into the U.S. and Manatee County I believe this is so important," said Yuval Siman-Tov of Tel Aviv.
Siman-Tov lost his two friends to the attack and pretended to be dead as he hid in a nearby bush after being shot in the back by one of the terrorists.
"We came from Israel to share our thoughts and I believe, for you to listen after all the events we had experienced seven months back on Oct. 7. It's really hard for me to be here and talk to you about the whole situation but to see this support is like it's incredible. We are really excited to see this and to be in this kind of situation," Siman-Tov said.
"In Israel, we were all hit hard. I don't know that there are many people who don't know anybody who was affected in one way or another," said Keren Shani-Lifrak of Sarasota.
Shani-Lifrak's brother was killed in an overnight attack on one of Israel's military camps by Hamas operatives in December.
"They weren't prepared. They were getting fire from all sorts of directions. It was very foggy from what I understand from his commanders and both he and his partner got shot. He got shot in a very strange angle in the hip, the left hip and that probably caused him to lose consciousness," she said.
The proclamation, which passed unanimously, stated that Israel has the right to defend itself after Hamas attacks.
"To hear leaders of our community, remembering how we got here and the suffering that Jews in Israel and around the world have felt every day since then is a ray of hope in a time of darkness," said Sheppard Englander, CEO of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.
Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge brought up the proclamation and presented it to the board of commissioners after anti-Israel protests erupted at several college campuses over the past several weeks.
"We need to stand up to make a statement to tell the Jewish resident county that you know we love you. You're welcome here and that we stand with you and we stand with the nation of Israel," Ostenbridge said.
"If I could go into Gaza and collect all these Palestinian children and show them a different future that's full of love and possibility for themselves I would, but I can't. The only thing we can do is defend ourselves and hope that we can take small steps over time towards peace and towards healing," Shani-Lifrak said.
The Jewish Federation is hosting a Unity Day event Tuesday at 7 p.m. with several speakers, including the Oct. 7 attack survivor.