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Day 367 of the War: October 7 in Prague
Like everyone else in my country, I never anticipated a tragedy like October 7. And, I certainly didn’t expect that, a year later, 100 people would still be held hostage in Gaza, that we would still be at war, and that the government responsible for this calamity would remain in power with the same prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who led us into this catastrophe.
Last Saturday night, I attended another demonstration led by the families of the hostages, urging for the release of their loved ones. Due to the war, participation was limited to 2,000, but in Tel Aviv, there were many more, and across the country, desperate demonstrators cried out, demanding the hostages’ freedom. The top of a van served as a stage, and I noticed a large number of young people in the crowd. At a time when, due to the circumstances in Israel, many young people are choosing “relocation” — a gentler term for emigration — it gave me hope to see these young people standing their ground and fighting for change.
I spent this October 7 in Prague, where I attended a rally to commemorate our tragedy. It was held in the Old Town Square, near the astronomical clock. Many attendees held or wrapped themselves in Israeli flags, while others, in solidarity, carried Czech flags. Before the ceremony began, the names of those who were killed, along with their photos and Yizkor candles, were projected on the wall of the stage. As the ceremony started, both the Czech and Israeli anthems were sung, followed by speeches from Jewish community leaders and Czech dignitaries, with English translations projected on the wall. It was a deeply moving display of solidarity. Hundreds of people stood quietly, just steps away from where tourists wandered through the beautiful ancient city. At 7 o’clock local time, the bells of every church in the city tolled. This unexpected and touching gesture of solidarity for a tragedy that occurred far away, on another continent, gave me hope that we are not alone in the world.
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