New Yorkers Grieve Israel’s Dead and Displaced One Year Later
On Oct. 7, 2023, Israel suffered the deadliest terrorist attack in the country’s history after Palestinian nationalist group Hamas killed 360 people at Israel’s NOVA music festival. Today, hundreds of pro-Israel supporters gathered in Times Square to commemorate the Israeli deaths and call for the release of the remaining 101 hostages, an additional 33 of which have been confirmed dead by the Israeli Defense Forces.
“I just want them to come home. That’s what matters more than anything. But I don’t think anyone in the US has the power to bring them home. I think that rests on Netanyahu,” said Prospect Lefferts Gardens resident and event attendee Clayton Briggs, 30.
An Orthodox Jewish attendee at the memorial holds up the Israeli flag in Times Square.
The Hamas assaults last year ignited a year-long war that has left an estimated 1,700 Israelis and 40,000 Palestinians dead, making the conflict the deadliest in Palestinian history.
According to Hamas, the attacks were in response to decades of Israeli occupation in Gaza and continued expansion of Israeli settlements into Palestinian territory, including a complete blockade on the movements of goods and people in and out of the Gaza Strip. The restrictions have negatively impacted the Palestinian economy, which is heavily reliant on trade with Israel and employment permits in the nation.
Israel’s regional power is due in part to the $3.8 billion in military assistance that the U.S. has promised the nation through 2028.
“[The U.S. is] Israel’s greatest friend and greatest ally. It is our job to ensure the Israeli hostages come home, and we will do all we can,” said event speaker Florent Groberg, U.S. Army Captain and Medal of Honor recipient, to the crowd.
A Pro-Israel attendee holds up a defiant sign at the October 7, 2024 event.
For some in attendance, bringing hostages home wasn’t the only concern. Dekel, an Israeli citizen living in Tel Aviv who flew to New York City for the memorial, wished for his last name to remain anonymous.
“I want a ceasefire and to bring back the hostages, but in the end I want a two-state solution for peace. I want peace for both Palestinians and Israelis,” he said.
A man praying with a phylactery, a square leather box containing portions of the Torah scripture worn by Conservative and Orthodox Jews during prayer services.
