A memorial service for the 1,200 victims of Hamas was held Monday afternoon at a synagogue in Athens, exactly one year after the Palestinian organization’s raid on southern Israel.
The ceremony, which was organized by the Central Jewish Council of Greece, the Israeli Community of Athens and the Embassy of Israel in Greece, was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis, the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis, the Minister of Labor Niki Kerameos, the Deputy Minister of Labor Kostas Karagounis and the former minister Thanos Pleuris while the former mayor of Athens Giorgos Kaminis was also present.
“One year has passed since the darkest day in the history of Israel”, said in the speech of the Israeli ambassador in Athens Noam Katz, stressing that “Israel will respond to Iran in a place and time of its choosing”. He asked the “free world” to take action against the extremists and also the Israelis to “look deep into their souls” in order not to repeat the mistakes that led to October 7.
The call for the release of the hostages
“The world seems to have chosen to forget this day,” said the president of the Central Jewish Council of Greece, David Saltiel. “Terrorism has attacked the West. What state would let such an attack go unanswered? And yet, a few days later, people took to the streets and universities and the Jews were again targeted.”
He called for the release of the 101 hostages still held by Hamas and for an end to the war. Mr Saltiel was the only one to refer to the “humanitarian crisis in Gaza”.
The ceremony was also addressed by two survivors of the Nova festival, which was the first to be attacked by Hamas as it unfolded just four kilometers from the Gaza Strip. This was followed by a psalm by the rabbi and the lighting of candles in memory of the innocent dead.
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