Tel Aviv, Israel: Candlelight Vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy Exposes the 25-Year-Long Persecution

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy on Ben Yehuda Street, Tel Aviv on July 18, 2024, to commemorate practitioners who died in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution. 

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999. This year marks 25 years of this bloody persecution. 

Practitioners held a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy on Ben Yehuda Street, Tel Aviv on July 18, 2024.

Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) teaches people to be good, and as a result, they improve their health. Falun Dafa and its founder Master Li have received many awards and certificates of appreciation. 

However, out of jealousy, Jiang Zemin, the then CCP head, launched the nationwide persecution. Since then, practitioners have been harassed, beaten, tortured, and even killed. Many have been subjected to the CCP’s forced organ harvesting.

Practitioners sat quietly in front of the embassy. The banners read, “Stop Forced Organ Harvesting from Falun Gong Practitioners;” “The Crime Is Not Overlooked;” “Stop the 25-Year-Long Persecution of Falun Gong.” A recording was played in Chinese calling the CCP to stop the persecution. They also distributed leaflets. 

Young Practitioner: We Need to Raise Awareness of the Persecution

Itamar Slonim, 13, learned about the persecution from his parents. 

Itamar Slonim, 13, attended the rally with his family and said, “I was 6 years old when my parents told me about the persecution. I felt bad for those in China who are being killed for their faith. I realized that there are really bad people in the world, who are afraid to be overthrown from power.

“What can be done to stop the persecution? Many things! We need to do a lot of Falun Dafa activities to show the truth to the whole world. Here in Israel, we should hold activities not only in front of the Chinese embassy. We need to go wherever possible, in front of local institutions as well, and introduce Falun Dafa.”

Supporter: Everyone Who Hears About the Persecution Faces a Test

Mordechai-Shmuel Tor said, “Everyone who hears about the persecution faces a test.”

Mordechai-Shmuel Tor from Jerusalem learned about the persecution several years ago and began reading the Falun Dafa’s main book Zhuan Falun. “I wanted to understand: On what grounds can practitioners be persecuted? I couldn’t grasp why people who aspire to become better people should be persecuted. It was really hard for me to hear about these atrocities, to believe that something like that is happening, and to hear about the tremendous suffering people have to endure there. The magnitude of the evil is unimaginable”.

“Every person who hears about this persecution faces a test – how will he respond? Will he ignore it, or will he express his empathy? It’s clear to me that we need to tell each other about the crimes the Chinese regime is committing against Falun Gong practitioners, and against humanity in general. It’s simply our duty to tell each other about it, because people don’t talk about these things.”

Galia Bones from Gush-Etzion began practicing Falun Dafa about a month and a half ago, and said, “I realized that only if I practice and cultivate can I more effectively expose the persecution. I came to the event today in front of the Chinese embassy to say with my presence, that I started practicing [Falun Dafa] and this is my statement.”