‘We can’t forget the hostages,’ former Israeli ambassador tells guests at JW3
Daniel Shek speaks to capacity crowd alongside families of current and former Israeli hostages in Gaza
The former Israeli ambassador to France last night urged a capacity auditorium at the north London community hub JW3 not to forget the hostages.
Daniel Shek, head of diplomacy at the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, was speaking alongside the families of three current and former Israeli hostages in Gaza. They included Noam Sagi, whose 75-year-old mother Ada, abducted from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October, was released in November.
The event, organised with the European Leadership Network (ELNET UK) welcomed 300 people to hear Shek tell guests about the ongoing campaign to secure the release of the hostages and the work they have done to lobby governments around the world – as well as in Israel – to support their cause.
The evening began shortly after the IDF confirmed the deaths of four further Israeli hostages in Hamas custody, including British-Israeli national Nadav Popplewell.
Shek asked the audience not to miss a moment to raise their cause, warning those assembled that the greatest danger to the hostages after Hamas itself was forgetfulness, which couldn’t be allowed to take hold.
ELNET UK chief executive officer Joan Ryan told guests that the strong turnout, following the huge 40,000 people who rallied in support of the hostages outside Downing Street on Sunday, was a demonstration of the UK community’s ongoing and unwavering support for the hostages and their families.
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