THOMASVILLE- As Israel braces for a retaliatory attack by Iran and acts of anti-semitism run rampant throughout the United States, Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, is calling for Americans to unite and see attacks on Israel as attacks on America.

Sultan-Dadon visited Thomas University on Monday to speak about the terror Jewish people have faced since Hamas’ surprise attack 312 days ago, killing the largest number of Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust, and how the people of Georgia can denounce this violence.

“We continue to count by the days, because we still have 115 hostages — men, women and children, languishing in captivity in Gaza,” Sultan-Dadon said.

Despite these tragedies, Sultan-Dadon assured that the people of Israel are uniting to show they have survived and persevered and will see this attack through as well.

The strong support of Israel from the United States is one of the many reasons Israelis continue to fight back.

“I would like to thank the congressmen and state legislators here for their support of Israel,” she said. “We (the consulate) feel so lucky to be based in part of a state that is so supportive of Israel.”

While Sultan-Dadon appreciates the support of Israel, she expressed it will take more than support to denounce the horrific actions taking place in the Middle East.

“There is a necessity to not only support Israel, but to vocally, proudly, and strongly stand with Israel at a moment in time when there are those looking to destroy Israel and destroy the Jewish people,” she said. “Standing with Israel now, is about standing with American values and standing for what America stands for.”

Israel, along with the United States stands for freedom, democracy, and life and must advocate for those values in the face of those cheering on death and destruction, she said.

Those cheering on death and destruction have caused record-high anti-semitism, including in the United States, according to Sultan-Dadon.

“This is detrimental to American interests and American values,” she said. “I think we all need to hold ourselves accountable to the role we are playing at this moment in history.”

Sultan-Dadon expressed her disappointment and disgust at the demonstrations on three of the most well-known university systems in the United States, that called for the extinction of Jewish peoples.

“For many Jews outside of Israel, the ground is moving and they no longer feel secure in what they questioned before,” she said. “They never had to ask themselves where can my son or daughter go to college knowing they are safe there.”

Sultan-Dadon went on to point out that while Israelis and Jewish people are concerned, more Americans should be concerned about the rise in anti-semitic acts.

“When we are witnessing anti-semitic demonstrations on college and university campuses, when we are witnessing Jewish faculty being bullied, and leaders are not taking a clear stand against this hatred, they are sending the wrong message to the many students on these campuses,” she said. “The future leaders of America are attending these universities.”

Sultan-Dadon had to question what these future leaders are learning if they are attending an academic institution which does not clearly state that there is no room for hate and anti-semitism.

“What will they have learned? What kind of leaders will they become?” she asked.

Congressman Austin Scott was in attendance and explained that the University System of Georgia’s donors and supporters have made it clear they will not stand for demonstrations or actions such as this on their campuses.

“Americans were shocked and disappointed,” Scott said. “Had those protests been against anyone else, they would’ve been shut down immediately and they didn’t do that. The conduct of these university presidents was unacceptable.”

Sultan-Dadon went on to say that these acts are incredibly dangerous for the United States.

“Ignoring that reality, ignoring the fact that the ayatollahs in Iran and Hamas, Hezbollah leaders are praising demonstrators is incredibly dangerous not just to us, but also to America,” she said. “These demonstrators who supposedly see themselves as Pro-Palestinian… nothing could be further from the truth.”

Sultan-Dadon said these individuals are knowingly or unknowingly supporting terror and the genocidal cause of these terror organizations and an oppressive terror regime that indoctrinates its own people, teaching them hatred and destruction.

“Hamas has had the opportunity to release hostages at any time they wanted, them not doing so in and of itself proves they don’t want peace,” Scott said.

Scott, along with Jody Redding, Director of Office of Gov. Brian Kemp, and state Reps. Chas Cannon, Darlene Taylor and Brent Cox, all assured Sultan-Dadon that any attack on Israel is seen by Georgia as an attack on the United States and Israel will continue to have Georgia’s full support in defending itself against these horrific attacks.