Remembering All That Was Lost On October 7
As we mark two years since October 7, JDCA’s CEO Halie Soifer reflects on this tragedy in an op-ed, which you can read here or on JDCA’s Substack.
Two years ago today, I was awakened with news of a terrorist attack in Israel. Having recalled the horrific suicide bombings during the Second Intifada, I assumed it was something similar. Then reports from southern Israel indicated it was larger than a single attack. As an image of a young woman’s body being paraded through Gaza flashed across my computer screen, I cried. Yet even that moment – and the horrific image I can never unsee of Shani Louk z”l – doesn’t fully capture the unimaginable pain that unfolded two years ago today.
For countless days and sleepless nights, we continued to bear witness to the horrors of October 7. We learned the stories of those murdered. Abducted. Raped. Sexually abused. Mangled. Beheaded. Burned. Orphaned. Terrorized. Traumatized. All victims of the deadliest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust, and one of the largest terrorist attacks in modern history.
The Israeli and Jewish people may never fully recover from October 7, not just in terms of the loss of life, but also in terms of a lost sense of security, given rising antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment worldwide. There is also a lost sense of security in Israel based on the belief that the IDF could protect civilians in any circumstance, including on the Gaza border. I visited Kibbutz Nahal Oz prior to October 7, saw the colorfully painted wall separating it from Gaza, and felt safe. That false sense of security is now gone, along with most of the kibbutz itself, though it’s in the process of rebuilding – a metaphor for life in Israel.
On October 11, 2023, I joined Jewish American leaders at the White House, where we heard directly from President Biden about his efforts to stand with Israel and Jews worldwide. The meeting was scheduled before October 7 to hear from the Second Gentleman about the White House’s strategy to combat antisemitism. It took on a new meaning after that dark day, and the president’s role in the meeting was unexpected and unplanned. Speaking extemporaneously, President Biden pounded the podium, his voice breaking with emotion, providing assurances that his “commitment to Israel’s security and the safety of the Jewish people is unshakeable. The United States has Israel’s back. And I have yours as well, both at home and abroad.”
With U.S. support, including an unprecedented $17.9 billion in military assistance given in 2024, initiated by President Biden and supported by nearly all Democrats in Congress, Israel has largely eliminated Hezbollah and Hamas leadership, and the threats posed by both terrorist groups have been significantly nullified. The military and nuclear threat posed by Iran has also been set back considerably by Israeli and American air strikes, the previously hostile government in Syria has been replaced, and Israel now has ties with key countries in the Gulf. It’s a new day in the Middle East, as most of the security threats that existed on Israel’s borders prior to October 7 have been vanquished, only to be replaced by different threats.
The 48 hostages still in Gaza – 20 of whom we hope are still living, 28 of whom are believed to be deceased – have not been returned, and today their families are marking 730 days without their loved ones. We have a glimpse into the pain the hostages have endured due to the stories conveyed by the 148 who have returned alive. Starvation. Torture. Isolation. Desperation. Desolation. Sexual abuse. Manipulation. Psychological warfare. Murder.
We know that former hostages, such as Hersh Goldberg-Polin z”l, did everything they could to survive. As Hersh told his fellow hostages, “if you have the why, you’ll find the how,” inspiring them to live long enough to be freed. It’s heartbreaking that at least 20 hostages have now spent two birthdays in captivity, and absolutely gut-wrenching that Hersh, who would have celebrated his 25th birthday last Friday, didn’t live past the age of 23.
In the past two years, JDCA has been privileged to hear from Hersh’s parents, Rachel and Jon. We are deeply inspired by their strength, leadership, and moral clarity in the face of tragic loss. In addition to persistently demanding a release of the hostages, even after Hersh was killed, Rachel also reminds us of the death and destruction that has unfolded in Gaza since October 7. As she recently told CBS, “If you only cry when one side’s babies die, it means your moral compass is broken, and therefore your humanity is broken…we’re also very aware, as you know, there are thousands and thousands and thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza who are also in this horrific situation. We have such a surplus of suffering in this neck of the woods. And we are desperate for the decision-makers and the people of power to make it end.”
For two years, the war in Gaza has tested our humanity. Some have questioned the veracity of reports of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza. Some have questioned the severity of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It doesn’t change the fact that too many Palestinians have been killed and have gone without food in Gaza.
After reports of aid diversion by Hamas, Israel completely restricted the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza earlier this year, between early March and mid-May, which resulted in “real starvation,” according to President Trump. As American Jews grappled with how to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, we have been conflicted. Do we deny international reports of famine in Gaza, or do we accept that multiple things can be true at once, and that criticizing Israel doesn’t diminish our support of it?
It is true that Israel imposed a blockade of food entering Gaza for eleven weeks, which it lifted on May 18. It is also true that Israel faced aid diversion by Hamas, and it aimed to restructure the mechanism for delivering assistance in order to prevent it.
It is true that this structure, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), failed in its stated mission, contributing to the food crisis in Gaza rather than addressing it. It is also true that the growing number of Democrats who have expressed concern about this crisis are not anti-Israel. Like President Biden, the vast majority of Democrats in Congress support Israel’s security and right to self-defense, and stand with the majority of Israelis wanting an end to this war and a return of the hostages, as well as the flow of aid into Gaza, where they recognize that Hamas has no future in the wake of October 7.
Multiple truths now confront the Israeli government as it faces growing pressure – including from 66% of Israelis – to end this war. It is true that far too many people died on October 7 at the hands of Hamas. The loss of even one life that day was unjustified, let alone the loss of nearly 1,200 lives. It is also true that far too many people have died in the two years since, including 913 members of the IDF and tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza.
The scale of the loss is heartbreaking and has led to a clear divide among American Jews, 48% of whom do not approve of Israel’s military action in Gaza, according to a recent poll by the Washington Post. Of the American Jews polled, 39% responded that they believe Israel is committing genocide, and 61% believe Israel is committing war crimes. This is not a view held by JDCA, but it does demonstrate the strength of many Jewish Americans’ belief that the war in Gaza has gone on for too long and must come to an end.
There is currently an agreement on the table, and negotiations to end the war are underway in Egypt. President Trump has set forth a 20-point plan for a sustainable ceasefire, which includes the release of the hostages and demilitarization of Hamas. We hope this agreement succeeds because each day that passes is one day too many for the hostages and all those suffering. Leadership will be required to end this war, and we are praying that it can be found in current negotiations on all sides, including from the United States, Israel, and especially Hamas, which is responsible for October 7.
As we reflect on all that was lost two years ago, including Shani Louk z”l, I vividly remember the inhumanity of Shani’s body being paraded through Gaza. She didn’t deserve such horrific treatment, just as the other 378 casualties of the Nova Festival didn’t deserve their tragic fate. Nor did any of those murdered on October 7, including 38 young children. May the memories of those lost be forever a blessing, and may we never forget the Jewish value of pikuach nefesh, the sanctity of life, and the precedence of saving a life. It’s time for this war to end.
Halie Soifer
CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America