Pro-Palestinian Rallies Overshadow October 7 Commemorations
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON/BUDAPEST/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – As Israel prepared to remember the greatest tragedy against Jews since the Holocaust, or Shoah, thousands demonstrated against the Jewish nation in pro-Palestinian rallies worldwide.
Protesters choose the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas massacre of 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 persons in Israel as the moment to express outrage over the war that was triggered by these atrocities.
Demonstrators cited figures from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry that Israeli attacks have killed more than 40,000 people in the enclave, but the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.
Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 combatants in battle as of August and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
The Israeli military claims it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as “human shields,” fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
Yet those words did not convince crowds participating in pro-Palestinian protests in North America, Europe, North Africa, and Asia on Sunday.
About 40,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London, while thousands gathered in Paris, Rome, Manila, Cape Town and New York City.
DEMONSTRATIONS HELD
Demonstrations were also held near the White House in Washington, protesting against U.S. support for Israel in military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon.
Demonstrations were also held in major cities such as Jakarta and Istanbul, where protester Ahmet Unal said: We are here to support the Palestinian resistance.”
There were also pro-Israel rallies, including in the Netherlands, where crowds gathered in Amstelveen, a key suburban city of Amsterdam, the capital.
There, Caroline van der Plas, leader of the right-wing Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB) party, recalled that “there was a horrible massacre of people who were singled out, just because they were Jewish.”
At a march in Germany’s capital, Berlin, near the Brandenburg Gate, hundreds of pro-Israeli demonstrators set off up the famed Unter den Linden behind a banner that read “Against all antisemitism,” accompanied by a police escort.
With many Israeli flags waving overhead, some Jewish leaders led a song about “shalom” — peace. Marchers chanted “Free Gaza from Hamas!” and “Bring them home,” referring to the roughly 100 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
In London, thousands gathered in Hyde Park in a similar memorial event. The crowds chanted “Bring them home” and waved Israeli flags and placards with the faces of hostages still held by Hamas.
JEWISH LEADERSHIP
The event was organized by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, and other groups in collaboration with the Israeli embassy in London.
“Today’s event is for one purpose only: it is a memorial. We want to remember the people who have been brutally murdered, and we want the world to remember,” said Henry Grunwald, chair of the organizing committee.
Mandy Damari, whose daughter Emily was one of the 251 people taken hostage by Hamas, added her daughter was “full of life.”
Speaking at the memorial, Damari recalled that, “One year has passed, and she is still in hell. How is it she is still in prison?”
British Jewish actress Tracy-Ann Oberman was among the attendees and spoke at the event, saying that “we must not forget our humanity” and remarking that it was “heartening” to see how many people had come out for the event.
It is believed that 97 hostages remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November and four hostages before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 37 hostages were also recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors, Israeli sources said.
HOLDING BODIES
Hamas is reportedly also holding two Israeli civilians who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
Israel has also experienced attacks — missiles from Iran and Hezbollah, explosive drones from Yemen, fatal shootings and stabbings — as the region braces for further escalation.
In late September, Israel shifted some of its focus to Hezbollah, which holds much of the power in parts of southern Lebanon and some other areas of the country.
Israel says it is attacking the group with airstrikes and a limited ground operation in Lebanon.
Israel has eliminated the vast majority of Hezbollah’s top leadership in the last few weeks, saying it seeks to push Hezbollah away from the border to allow tens of thousands of evacuated residents to return to their homes.
However, many in the world on Sunday seemed to pressure Israel to halt its actions against Iran-backed groups, which have pledged to fight for the Jewish nation’s destruction.
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