A number of speeches were held during the commemoration, including by Chanan Hertzberger the chairman of the Central Jewish Consultation (CJO) and the mother of a murdered hostage. Outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof and several MPs were present in the synagogue this morning.
The Israeli ambassador Zvi Aviner Vapni also gave a speech. “We are here today to demand the return of all our hostages to their houses and their families, after 729 days.” In addition, the ambassador expressed his concerns about increasing anti -Semitism: “Let anti -Semitism rise, the foundations of the civilized world will shake. But despite this hatred we will keep full and we will remain standing.”
At first the commemoration would take place tonight, but at the last minute the service was moved to this morning. According to a spokesperson for the CJO, this ‘logistics was better due to the other activities in the city’, referring to the Red line demonstration that takes place today.
The meeting took place this year on 5 October because the Jewish party Soekot starts on October 7, also known as the ‘foliage festival’. According to Hertzberger, Jews are not allowed to use reinforced audio and no light according to tradition.
He speaks of a ‘very worthy and emotional’ meeting: “It is good that attention is being paid to it. With the comment that what happens in Gaza is also very bad, but that does not detract from the sadness of the events of 7 October.”
There was a lot of security and police this morning around the synagogue.