J Street Marks Third Anniversary of October 7

Washington, DC – Three years after Hamas’ horrific attack on communities across southern Israel and the Nova music festival, J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami issued the following statement: 

“On the third anniversary of Israel’s darkest day, our hearts are with the families of the 1,200 people murdered that day, as well as the dozens of hostages who died in Hamas captivity. We hold close, too, the survivors and all those whose lives were forever changed by the violence, terror and trauma of that day.

We also find space to celebrate the freedom and safety of the 166 hostages who made it home alive, and for whose release we fought so hard. The joy and relief we feel at their freedom remind us of the immeasurable value of every human life.

As we commemorate the Israeli lives lost in that horrific terror attack, we also recognize the devastation Israel’s response inflicted on Gaza. For the last three years, Gaza’s more than two million residents have endured an unrelenting nightmare that has not yet ended. Our hearts are with the families of the tens of thousands of civilians – including more than 20,000 children – killed in the war that followed.

This time last year, we were still desperately fighting for a ceasefire and the return of the hostages. That agreement came soon after, but the work of securing a fundamentally different future for Gaza and Israel remains unfinished. The United States and international community must push urgently to implement the ceasefire plan that would see Hamas disarm, Israel withdraw and real reconstruction begin.

As we feel the pain of October 7 and of the three years that have followed, let us redouble our efforts to build a future in which Israelis and Palestinians alike can live in freedom, security and self-determination and recognize that neither people will achieve lasting freedom and security until the other does too.

I am reminded today of the words of J Street’s dear friend Vivian Silver, a peace activist who dedicated her life to building that shared future and was murdered on October 7:

‘This could be such a haven to both of our people here.’

Indeed it could. That future remains possible – and we will continue to fight for it.”