Prefer Jewish News on Google
MPs and Nova Festival survivor reflect on aftermath of Oct 7 attacks at memorial event
APPG for Israel co-chair Bob Blackman recalls how the PSC began to organise London march while Oct 7 attacks still unfolding
Conservative MP and All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Israel co-chair Bob Blackman has recalled how the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s (PSC) decision to organise a march in London whilst the October 7 Hamas attacks were still unfolding had “immediate and severe” consequences for Jews in this country.
Speaking at a memorial event marking the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks, Blackman stated, “Whatever anyone’s view of the war that followed, the timing of that first request (by the PSC) whilst the attacks were still unfolding speaks for itself.”
“The consequences for Jewish communities in this country were immediate and severe,” he emphasised.
Blackman later said it was a disgrace that the PSC had been allowed to continue their fortnightly marches over the past three years.
Inside a packed House of Lords committee room on Monday, the APPG’s memorial event featured an emotional testimony from Ofir Amir, founder of the Nova Festival.
Amir recalled the harrowing moment during the Hamas attack when he thought he would never see his nine-month pregnant wife or their unborn daughter again, saying, “In that moment, I believed I would never see my family again.”
Amir also spoke about the recovery process after October 7, describing the need for both his “body and mind” to heal. He reflected on the wider impact of the terror attacks, both on the Nova community and on society at large.
He detailed other Islamist-inspired terror attacks targeting music industry events, including one in Manchester, and expressed his pain at the music industry’s lack of outrage after October 7, stating, “That is why the silence of so much of the international music and dance floor industry after October was so painful.”
He stressed that “the dance floor should be one of the safest and most equal places in the world.”
Cantor noted that the Jewish state had been attacked on multiple fronts and thanked attendees for standing with Israel and diaspora Jewry “in the hardest of times.”
He added that Israelis and the Jewish people would always “choose life, and refuse to allow evil to triumph,” opting for “freedom, peace, stability and security.”
Damian Egan, Labour MP and co-chair of the APPG, praised Amir for his account, saying, “Three years on, your testimony matters more than ever.”
He continued, “We live in a time when facts on October 7 are often distorted. And that’s not just on the fringes of social media, but it’s in the corridors of power, in parliament here, and around the world in our media, in international institutions.”
“In this upside-down world, survivors find themselves having to defend the very reality of events that they lived through,” Egan concluded.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
