Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine

A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.

• RELATED: Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine

The dueling venue event featured eight bands in the same plaza. Four bands performed at Sound Garden Kava Bar, and four performed at Beach Records on McGregor Blvd.

Love Your Rebellion hosted the event and said the proceeds will go to “Scents of Palestine.”

This fragrance company aims to provide “meals, medical care, and other essential donations” to those in Gaza.

50% of the event’s proceeds are going towards distributing clothes for the winter months. They also want to supply formula for infants.

Abigail Austin is with Scents of Palestine. She said that even though assisting children might come with controversy, she wants to make sure children are taken care of.

“I think if children are fed, clothed, and housed, it’s a good cause,” said Austin. “If you debate that, that sounds like an ethical issue on your part, not on ours. I’m going to make sure kids are fed regardless of where they are.”

Angela Page is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Love For Rebellion, a 501(c)(3) with the goal of empowering marginalized groups through the arts.

Love Your Rebellion has run multiple events under the “Rock for Equality” banner. In 2021, Love Your Rebellion hosted a benefit at Ollie’s Pub in Cape Coral to benefit the McGregor Clinic. They’ve also run events to benefit Planned Parenthood and the Southwest Florida chapter of Showing Up For Racial Justice.

Page, who is also the lead singer of the band Except You, said she wants to use her passion for the arts to help the community.

“The overall purpose is inspired by wanting to make an impact that’s positive in my community through the arts,” said Page. “I am really into music and writing and visual art and all other types of art. I think it’s a great way to get people mobilized for things they care about.”

Donna Nevel is a founding member of the South Florida chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. She spoke in between performances to give the perspective of a Jewish person who disagrees with the Israeli government.

“I think the Israeli government is very invested in putting forth this narrative that Jewish communities around the world support them, and some of the major Jewish organizations join them in that attempt,” said Donna Nevel. “Increasingly, you can see by just looking at demonstrations across the country and across the globe that Jewish voices are saying ‘not in our name.’ Never again means never again for anyone.”

Alan Levine is a civil rights lawyer and another member of the South Florida chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. He said that he wants people to differentiate between pro-Palestinian advocacy and antisemitism.

“One of the ways that defenders of Israel try to silence pro-Palestine advocacy is by saying it’s antisemitic,” said Alan Levine. “Their position is that anti-Zionism is antisemitic. Anti-Zionism is a protest against a particular state ideology, the ideology and actions of the state of Israel. Antisemitism is jew-hatred.”

Page said that she hopes through Love For Rebellion, people will come together regardless of their differences.

“We understand that this is a divisive issue for people,” said Page. “It’s helpful to understand that it’s all about unity. We’re just trying to help people come together and see the humanity in each other.”

For more information on Love Your Rebellion, click here. For more information on Scents of Palestine, click here.