Our hopes of a new, peaceful Mideast are quickly being dashed.

Terrorists are doing their best to prevent any progress being made between the new Palestinian prime minister and Israel's leaders. In the process, these suicide bombers also are trying to scare Israelis away from public buses, from shopping malls and from restaurants.

There is no life as usual for Israelis. There is only fear.

It's no surprise that Israelis feel very alone. They have few friends among the other nations. Worse yet, even diaspora Jews are afraid to visit.

At the very least, Israelis need to know that we care, that we are worried about them and that we stand in solidarity with them during such terrible times.

Last week in this space we extolled the effort of several young people who were doing their best to support Israel in their community and on a college campus. This week we want to talk about what everyone else can do.

Community leaders in the Bay Area have provided a good solution — a celebration of Israel's 55th anniversary. The annual "Israel in the Gardens" event will be held Sunday, June 1 in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens.

It is imperative that the park be filled with participants. By so doing, we can show our local newspapers and TV stations how strongly Bay Area Jews support Israel.

Judging by some of the negative Israel coverage we see from time to time, the media needs to get that message.

However, "Israel in the Gardens" is not just a solidarity event. It's a day of fun with Israeli dancing, foods, music and much more.

Security for the day always has been heightened. Because of the warning of possible terrorism in the United States, even more security will be on hand this year.

Let's not allow terrorists — either in the United States or Israel — to score another victory.

Come out on June 1 and show the world that am Yisrael chai — the people of Israel live — in our hearts and in our minds.

Don't miss out on this moment to stand with the Jewish community. We have much to celebrate, and so does Israel.