By Deena Martin

On June 8, I went to dinner with a friend in the Sarona Market, a place I have gone to dozens of times before.  Sarona is wonderful, filled with bars, shops, restaurants and parks -- visited by people from all over the world.  After we finished our meal, my friend and I decided we didn’t want dessert next door at Max Brenner’s, so we went to sit in an open area across the street, like we usually do.

A moment later we heard a pop. Thinking it was simply kids playing with firecrackers, we didn’t give it much of a thought. Then we heard rounds of fire. I looked up and saw people running and screaming.  We quickly got up and started to run away from the sound of gun shots. As we were running away, I saw people running towards the action and gunfire.  My friend and I made it to safety and I stood watching people frantically making phone calls, among them young girls looking scared and confused. It was a terrorist attack.

The man I saw running towards the shooter, he is brave. I tell this story to share the reality of what happens in Israel every day.  It is true that shootings happen every day all over the world, but it’s different in Israel. In Israel it’s an attack by terrorists, who are shooting us, stabbing us, kidnapping us, because we are Jewish and because we are living in our homeland.

Talk to people who are in Israel, who live this reality daily, so you will understand what it is like.

I, more than ever, strongly stand for Israel, now and forever.