Venerable Battaramulle Seelarathana Thera, leader of the Janasetha Peramuna, staged a demonstration in Colombo yesterday with a small group of supporters expressing solidarity with the United States and Israel.

The protest, attended by around six people, was held to convey what the Thera described as Sri Lanka’s gratitude for the assistance provided by the two countries during the country’s conflict with terrorism.

During the demonstration, Seelarathana Thera and his supporters chanted slogans including “Victory to America” and “Victory to Israel”.

Addressing the media, the Thera stated that Sri Lanka should remember the support extended by both countries in the past and called for continued goodwill towards them.

He also expressed what he described as the support of Sri Lankan monks for international leaders including former US President Donald Trump and the Prime Minister of Israel.

Seelarathana Thera emphasised that the contributions made by Israel to Sri Lanka during difficult periods in the country’s history should not be forgotten.