A pro-Israel protest in Helsinki last week, which was organized with only 30 hours notice in response to an anti-Israel rally, drew more than double the number of participants who participated in the anti-Israel rally, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Finland, a country with one of the lowest incidents of anti-Semitism in the world, has seen some incidents of anti-Semitism during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the anti-Israel rally was organized by the Finland branch of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and left-wing youth organizations in response to Israel’s annexation plans.

Risto Huvila, chairman of the Federation of Finland-Israel Associations and vice-chair of the March of Life Finland, heard about the anti-Israel protest only a day before it was scheduled to take place and quickly organized a pro-Israel rally to take place at the same time.

The over 200 pro-Israel supporters that showed up with flags, shofars and banners to counter the Free Palestine rally warmed the hearts of the country’s Jews. Some of the pro-Israel protestors drove hundreds of miles in heavy rain to attend the protest.

“This rally really shows that the members of the pro-Israel community in Finland are devout and faithful to show their support for Israel even on the very short notice, and even in quite bad weather,” Huvila said.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)