Global and local bodies mark 7 October anniversary
From World Jewish Congress to Barnet Council, horrors of that day are commemorated
Representatives of global and local bodies, Jewish and non-Jewish, have marked the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 with emotional statements and events.
Speaking in New York, Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, said 7 October was “a day that forever changed the Jewish people and the state of Israel. One year ago, the world witnessed unspeakable acts of terror as Hamas brutally targeted innocent men, women, and children in Israel. The pain and trauma from that day continue to resonate across Jewish communities around the globe.
“We are one people, and when one of us suffers, we all suffer. The hatred that fuelled those attacks is the same hatred that has plagued our people throughout history.
Ambassador Lauder added: “We hoped such violence was a relic of the past, but October 7 reminded us that antisemitism never truly disappears—it merely waits to surface once more, as virulent as ever. For a brief moment, the world stood with us. But as the days passed, that solidarity faded, and a disturbing wave of antisemitism took hold in unexpected places — in our schools, on our streets, and even in institutions of higher learning”.
He reaffirmed, he said, “that our mission has never been clearer. The security of Jewish communities worldwide is at stake, and the rise of antisemitism, often disguised as anti-Zionism, is a direct threat to every Jew. But we are not alone. We have allies who understand the gravity of this moment, and we call on world leaders to take decisive action against the ideologies that breed hatred and terror”.
Members of the European Coalition for Israel (ECI) are taking part this week in commemoration events in Strasbourg, Geneva and Helsinki. Tomas Sandell, ECI’s founder and director, said: “October 7 was a civilisational moment that has drawn up new moral demarcation lines between those who openly celebrate this brutal pogrom, those who remain indifferent and those who, against all odds, choose to stand up for the right of the Jewish state to defend itself against its deadly enemies.”
Sandell added: “This is not simply a military confrontation in various parts in the Middle East but a battle of ideas across the world; in media, academia and the diplomatic world as Israel is facing increasing isolation”.
Praising European Parliament president Robert Metsola and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for their “moral clarity and great leadership”, Sandell said that on Monday night ECI would take part in a national solidarity rally in Helsinki.
On Wednesday night ECI is due to host a major solidarity event outside Palais Wilson, the former headquarters of the League of Nations in Geneva, calling upon Christian leaders from around the world to rise to the occasion and stand in full solidarity with the Jewish people after the atrocities of October 7. ECI will also take part in the official European Parliament commemoration event in Strasbourg on Tuesday, together with members of the European parliament, including President Roberta Metsola.
In London, meanwhile, Councillor Barry Rawlings, leader of Barnet Council, whose borough is home to the largest number of Jews in Britain, said the council remembered “the immense loss and grief experienced by so many in Barnet’s Jewish community”.
He spoke of the “pain of the hostages and their families — those killed and those in captivity who must be released”.
Cllr Rawlings added: “We mourn the loss of innocent lives across the Middle East and extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, their families, and all those who continue to suffer from the aftermath of the October 7 attacks”.
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