Since the war began, pro-Israeli demonstrations have been held in pretty much every continent around the glove save one. That is why Dr. Tal Luzzatto Knaan and Associate Professor Tali Mass, both from the Charney School of Marine Sciences at the Department of Marine Biology from the University of Haifa, proudly displayed the Israeli flag in Antarctica, where they are attending a scientific conference. Last week, they've displayed pictures of several Hostages, some of which were subsequently released.
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"This expedition and the idea to wave the Israeli flag was planned long before the war, but now it takes on an added meaning, right here in Antarctica," they said.
These women landed in Antarctica as part of the "Homeward Bound" initiative. This global project brings together women who have experience in STEMM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine). The objective of this program is to establish a worldwide network of scientifically trained women who will take the lead in addressing global issues to benefit everyone across the globe.
On the ship with them were multiple women from around the globe. The two of them knew they'd use the trip to share what's going on in Israel, and particularly to discuss the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"We knew that on a trip all about leadership, we couldn't not talk about our hostages. At first, they didn't want us bringing up politics, but we didn't back down. In the end, we got to share what's happening here in Israel from our own perspective. We showed them pictures and videos of the hostages. We're pretty sure a good number of them, who were hearing about this stuff for the first time, now comprehend the situation a lot better," they said.