Over a dozen people gathered on March 20 at the intersection of Airport-Pulling Road North and Pine Ridge Road in Naples, waving Israeli and American flags as passing cars honked in support.
The rally, organized by the "Solidarity with Israel Coalition," attracted community members from across the area. Christian demonstrator Melissa Mason shared her thoughts on the event.
“It’s amazing to be here in that crowd. What I’m seeing are a lot of people honking their horns in support of us, and they're really happy that we're standing out here, bringing attention to this cause.”
The cause at hand is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. Nammie Ichilov, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, explained the purpose of the rally.
“It’s about recognizing the hostages still being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. We have many interfaith fellowship members here today standing in solidarity with us and supporting Israel and everything it’s been going through since [October] 7.”
It has been more than a year since the October 7 attack, and 59 hostages remain in captivity. For many of the rally attendees, the memory of that day remains vivid. Graham Berg, who attended the rally, shared his recollection.
“I remember the shock as everything began to unravel. I realized the extreme nature of the situation, which was just horrific and unbelievable. I can’t recall exactly where I was, but I remember the feeling.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently ended a ceasefire in Gaza that had been in place since January 2025. Both Israel and the United States blamed the resumption of hostilities on Hamas’ refusal to release more hostages before negotiations to end the war could proceed—something that was not part of the ceasefire agreement. Berg offered his perspective on the situation.
“I’m not a big fan of Netanyahu, but at this moment, I’m not sure he had a lot of choices. What else could he do? Leave the hostages there while Hamas didn’t respond at all? I think Hamas itself doesn’t know what to do.”
Despite the strong show of solidarity with Israel, perspectives on long-term solutions varied among rally participants. Berg expressed his views on what peace might eventually require.
“I’m in favor of a two-state solution. I think Gazan civilians are as much a victim as Israel's a victim. I have no doubt that, in reality, they don’t want the death and destruction. But they feel unable or unwilling to push Hamas out of power.”
This perspective contrasted with that of other rally participants. Janine Rutherford offered a different vision.
“It doesn’t look likely. In the Bible, God gave us the land and set its boundaries. Currently, Israel occupies only a small portion of that land. So, at this point, I don’t see a two-state anything.”
For the Jewish community members present, the rally represented more than just political discourse. The organizer underscored the importance of community solidarity amidst these complex discussions. Ichilov shared his thoughts.
“We’re grateful to the broader non-Jewish community of greater Naples who are supporting us while we are supporting Israel. It’s very difficult to be a minority group challenged with trying to maintain a love and support of our brethren across the globe. so, for us, it's really about appreciating the support that we're getting from our neighbors here.”
As traffic continued to flow through the busy intersection, rally participants remained resolute in their message of solidarity, determined to keep the plight of the hostages in the public eye—even as they grappled with differing visions for the future.
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