Following the sudden escalation in rocket attacks on southern Israel with more than 150 rockets fired since the beginning of the month the Australasian Union of Jewish Students launched a Facebook campaign called ‘Code Red – Stop the Rockets’ aimed at providing solidarity from afar for Israelis living in fear of the attacks.

View the campaign and photos at: www.facebook.com/StopTheRockets.

Hillel – University of Pennsylvania

The campaign asks people around the world to send in photographs wearing red clothing to match the Tzeva Adom (‘Code Red’) warnings that citizens receive when a rocket is about to fall in their area. The campaign, which was launched early Tuesday 13th November, has already received strong support – with photos coming in from Australia and around the world including the US, Canada and Israel, along with thank you messages from southern Israelis.

At Shalom College Sydney

Campaign co-ordinator Dean Sherr said the sudden escalation in attacks on Israel had motivated supporters around the world to action.

“AUJS’s intention for this campaign was to send a strong, unified message of support to the one million southern Israelis currently living under a barrage of rocket attacks. That message has been overwhelmingly taken up, with photos coming in from around the world – showing that people truly do care.”

“It is worth noting that although these rocket attacks have intensified in recent days – southern communities such as Sderot have been subject to tens of thousands of rockets in the past decade, many of which have contravened existing ceasefires,” Sherr said.

AUJS’s campaign aims to continue to support Israel in the possibility of further escalation following recent events in Gaza. The page has registered over 490 members within days of being published on Facebook.