Bulletproof Israel Sending Aid and Support from Los Angeles

A day after Israel experienced the devastating terror attack, a group of seven friends gathered in Los Angeles to explore ways they could help. Within a few days, their numbers had grown to a dozen and later to 25 people. Together, they established “Bulletproof Israel,” a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding Israel in times of crisis.

On Tuesday, October 17th, they organized a fundraising event at the Beverly Hills home of Albert Alkoby. The event saw a turnout of 300 people, including some well-known actors such as Emile Hirsch and Israeli actress Swell Ariel Or, famous for her role in “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem.”

The entrance to the picturesque backyard was transformed into a display of posters featuring the images of children, men and women who had been kidnapped by Hamas.

Actor-comedian Elon Gold hosted the event, which commenced with the singing of the national anthem “Hatikva” and a moment of silence to honor the 1,400-plus victims of Saturday, October 7. Survivors of the massacre, as well as family members of those who lost their lives, addressed the guests directly from Israel.

Zehava and Shahaf Ben Simon, the mother and sister of Adar Ben Simon, an IDF soldier who tragically lost her life, shared poignant memories of the 20-year-old who was stationed at the Zikim base when she was killed by Hamas. Shachaf recounted the last communication with her sister, saying, “Adar wrote to me and described everything that was happening there, how they were under attack. I told her to ‘stay safe,’ but it was evident that she couldn’t; she had to defend herself and her fellow soldiers. After a fierce firefight, where they were outnumbered both in terms of manpower and ammunition, they fought heroically for about four minutes. During this time, they moved the wounded to safety and took the place of inexperienced soldiers, effectively preventing the terrorists from breaching the base. They saved the lives of both soldiers and civilians who were inside the base.”

“We lost Adar, but life goaes on, even though it will never be the same.“ –Zahava Ben Simon

Zehava added, “At 7:15 am, I called Adar and I could hear her last words. She said she couldn’t talk and promised we would speak later, but that never happened. Later, the base commander revealed that if Adar and the other soldiers hadn’t thwarted the terrorist intrusion, they would have reached Kibbutz Zikim and even Ashkelon and its northern regions. Despite all the challenges, I know that Adar would have done it again and been proud of her accomplishments. We lost Adar, but life goes on, even though it will never be the same.”

One of the victims at the Re’im music festival was Avi Sasi, a Los Angeles resident who was on vacation in Israel with his family when tragedy struck. His daughter, Danielle Sasi, who was with him along with other family members and friends, shared her harrowing experience. She said, “We were a group of seven at the festival. Around 6 a.m., I told my father that I had to return home to my baby. However, he insisted that we dance ‘just one more dance.’ At around 7 a.m., I noticed fireworks in the distance, and my father immediately told me to start running.

Danielle and her father sought shelter with a group of 40 people, but Hamas threw a grenade inside, resulting in many casualties, including her father. She and other survivors resorted to covering themselves with blood from the bodies around them and pretended to be deceased. They remained in that position for several hours until help arrived.

Artist Tomer Peretz, 41, a Los Angeles resident for the past 18 years, was in Israel for a family visit when the conflict began. As an IDF veteran with two years of service in Gaza, he didn’t hesitate to join ZAKA, a voluntary organization specializing in collecting bodies after terror attacks in Israel and identifying the victims. 

Peretz shared his firsthand experiences of the horrors he encountered shortly after the massacre. He said, “We witnessed the sight of women dying in the streets, individuals shot in the face and left unrecognizable, and burnt bodies. I keep hearing stories that there were no beheaded babies—well, are you f—ing kidding me? I saw a baby with an axe embedded in his brain, and there were many beheaded babies. We had to collect body parts after Hamas had mutilated them. Many people were subjected to torture before their deaths, with fingers and other body parts severed. At one point, someone handed me a small plastic bag containing the remains of a burnt baby, and one of the volunteers recited the Kaddish prayer over it.”

Peretz was involved in collecting bodies both at Kibbutz Be’eri and at the festival site, and he noted that the smell of blood was unforgettable. He remarked, “The stench was so overpowering that it could be detected from miles away. No mask could shield you from it.”

Actor Nathaniel Buzolic, known for his role in “The Vampire Diaries,” is not Jewish but has shown strong support for Israel. He faced ongoing attacks from people who are pro-Palestinian on social media. Despite this, the Australian actor remained steadfast in his defense of Israel on Instagram. The efforts to silence him eventually succeeded, leading to the closure of his Instagram account. 

Buzolic claimed that Instagram had censored his post exposing atrocities against Israel and said, “Israel is fighting two wars, one against Hamas and the other for public opinion. I only shared real-time footage that has been circulating on social media.”

Furthermore, not only Instagram but also TikTok took action against Buzolic. TikTok alleged that he had shared false information and removed a video he posted, featuring an Israeli child kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza. 

“Hamas and pro-Palestinian propaganda is very good at manipulating social media,” he said. “They know all the tools, techniques and I think the American people need to sit back and realize that this is not grandmas in Texas who are reporting my accounts, but these are groups of people who know that the battle that’s being fought on the ground in Israel, is also in information war.”

Dimitri Kermani, a co-founder of Bulletproof Israel, spoke to the Jewish Journal about the overwhelming support from Jewish communities in the U.S. However, he also cautioned donors to be diligent when sending donations to the IDF, as many items often fail to meet the IDF’s standards. He explained, “People purchased items such as bulletproof vests and ceramic plates with the noble intention of protecting Israeli soldiers, but upon reaching Israel, these items often fell short of IDF requirements. This resulted in millions of dollars going to waste.”

It’s advisable to send money donations or check with the IDF first before purchasing items intended for the use of soldiers. 

While Bulletproof Israel, as a non-profit organization, cannot purchase military equipment, it can allocate funds for other items to support the IDF and those affected by the war. Kermani said, “We can provide medical equipment, tourniquets, first aid kits, and support community rebuilding efforts. Our focus will be on various relief efforts.”

Kermani, like many those involved in the effort to raise money for Israel, said that he hardly slept since the horrific attack on Israel. “We share one heart, and when one of us suffers, we all grieve together. This tragedy deeply impacts our hearts and souls and we’ll do anything we can to help Israel from here.” 

For more information: https://bulletproofisrael.org/