Manatee County commissioners adopt proclamation showing ‘unrelenting support’ for Israel
MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Amid the conflict in the Middle East, Manatee County commissioners adopted a proclamation Tuesday morning as a show of their support for the people of Israel.
The document Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge read into the record stated it was a “symbol of our unrelenting support for the people of Israel, and as a reminder that innocent Israeli and American victims remain held as hostages — in horrific conditions — to this day.”
The show of support comes amid ongoing pro-Palestine rallies calling for a ceasefire both locally and across the nation.
“Israel has a right to defend itself. It has a right to defend itself and shame on us and our government if we don’t stand and help Israel defend itself against terrorists like Hamas,” Commissioner Mike Rahn said. “I can tell you this will stand with you always.”
Members of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee were in the commission chambers during the reading. Among the crowd was also a survivor of the Nova Music Festival attack by Hamas.
Yuval Siman Tov, 24, is visiting the United States to share his story, seven months after the attack that started the war.
“It’s really hard for me to be here and talk with you about the whole situation, but to see the support is like, it is incredible,” Siman Tov said.
The young man talked about what happened in the morning hours of Oct. 7, 2023.
“We ran away from the party, went to our car, drove south from the party, then we drove back north because we thought road was not blocked anymore and then there were eight motorcycles and two trucks waiting for us on the road just shooting towards our car,” Siman Tov said. “My friend died from the first bullet actually and we were watching him. After that, we went out of our car; I pretended to be dead for one hour, then actually ran away.”
During a Unity Rally in Sarasota Tuesday evening, Siman Tov shared his story before hundreds of people. The attendees were there to also view a screening of a documentary showcasing the aftermath of the attack called ‘Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre’.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
