Caribbean-American elected officials in New York on Monday commemorated the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, saying that it has been a “difficult” year since the tragedy.
“It has been a difficult year since Oct. 7, 2023, where we watched in horror as 1,200 innocent people, including 46 Americans, were brutally killed by Hamas terrorists,” Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, told Caribbean Life. “We must all condemn the heinous acts of brutality they perpetrated on the people of Kfar Aza, the Nova Music Festival, and the oppressive hold that Hamas has over the people of Gaza – the victims of this war. The indifference to killing must end.
“As, we continue to mourn all those lost on that terrible day, and as we continue our work to free the hostages from their captors, I am mindful that this tragic chapter is only the most recent in a long and devastating history of antisemitism, hatred and pain that the Jewish community has confronted over the millennia,” added the representative for the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn. “But it has also reaffirmed the spirit of perseverance that will forever define the Jewish people.
“In this painful and pivotal moment, it is imperative for the United States to maintain its commitment to our ally Israel and continue in its efforts to bring about the release of the hostages that have been held in Gaza for the past year, and secure a pathway to peace and stability to the war that is engulfing the Middle East,” Clarke continued. “Through this past year, too much blood has been shed, and too many lives have been lost. Too much pain has found innocent people, and too many families have been torn apart.”
The congresswoman said the trauma and aftershocks of the Oct. 7 attack “continue to be felt beyond our shores as war, and tragedy continues to plague the Middle East.
“Here at home, we are confronting rising hate and antisemitism and Islamophobia in our own communities,” she said. “Sadly, too many of our visibly religious neighbors feel unsafe walking their own streets.
“As the congressional representative of one of our nation’s most diverse populations, like any blended community, we take great pride in supporting one another during trying times,” she added. “We pray and work for brighter days, because these times of conflict and hardship must come to an end.”
With the commemoration of the “devastating anniversary,” Clarke said, “let it remind each of us that Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in dignity, safety and security. In memory of all those innocent people that we have lost, and in full consideration of all those we hope to save, it is time to embrace a lasting ceasefire and to, at long last, begin walking the path towards peace.”
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, whose father hails from Trinidad and Tobago, recalled that on Oct. 7 last year, “we witnessed an unimaginable tragedy, where violence erupted and thousands of Israeli civilians and families were lost.
“Today represents a day of remembrance and reflection to honor the lives of those we lost as we vow to never forget,” she said. “In moments like this, we must come together as a city and remember that strength lies in our unity, and we must embrace our shared humanity.
“We must stand with our Jewish community during this time of emotions, grief, sorrow and compassion for everyone affected,” she urged. “We have seen far too much hate and violence and increased antisemitism, and we must reject hate in all forms and instead foster communities grounded in love and respect.
“What we saw in the days and weeks following Oct. 7 were communities united with our Jewish neighbors, standing shoulder to shoulder,” she added, stating that she has seen her borough “come together in the spirit of unity, overcoming division and instead building bridges.”
As Bronx Borough President, Gibson said it is her goal “to help build a borough where all people can live, worship and express themselves without fear.
“We will continue to work towards a shared community for our children who are the lights that shine as a beacon of hope for a peaceful society,” she said. “Let us honor the memory of those loved ones and friends we lost. Let us continue to build bridges. Let us continue to reject hate in all forms.
“Let us continue to support our Jewish communities and focus on what unites us,” Gibson added. “Let us continue to demand the return of all the hostages. Let us continue to fight for peace here at home and in Israel.”
Photo courtesy Office of New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn
Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, said that: “On this somber anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, my heart is heavy as I join our communities in mourning the deadliest attack in the country’s history.
“Hamas’ atrocious assault on innocent civilians during one of the holiest Jewish holidays was an act of cowardice,” said the representative for the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn. “I join our nation in unequivocally condemning this inhumane terrorist attack that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.”
She noted that New York, home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel, “feels the weight of this tragedy deeply.
“We must continue to combat rising anti-Semitic hate crimes, and comfort our neighbors facing the unspeakable uncertainty of the safety of the nearly 100 hostages still held captive by Hamas,” Bichotte Hermelyn said. “Every day, we pray for the safe return of these innocent civilians and must continue to demand their unconditional release.
“We extend our unwavering support to the Jewish people in their homeland and their right to self-defense,” she added. “This attack has caused anguish and destruction in a Middle East now shattered by a widening conflict that has killed tens of thousands.
“As we reflect on this tragic day, we pray in unity for peace,” Bichotte Hermelyn continued.
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said that “the horrific events of that day, and those that followed, have brought immense pain and grief that continue to reverberate throughout our communities here in New York City.
“The cycles of violence inflicted on families threaten to leave behind trauma that will be felt for generations,” she said. “My heart is heavy, and I mourn with those who lost loved ones and whose lives have been forever altered.
“As we mark this somber occasion, we will continue to honor the victims of the Oct. 7 attacks and call for the return of remaining hostages who have been taken from their families,” Speaker Adams added. “In this moment, we must continue to recognize our shared humanity and insist that peace is possible, and work to achieve the collective security it can bring that all people deserve.”
On Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams ordered that city flags be lowered to half-staff, and City Hall and other municipal buildings lit yellow Monday evening “in remembrance of one year since the horrific terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, as well as in advocacy for the safe return of hostages still held captive by Hamas.
“One year ago today, people of all faiths and creeds gathered at the Nova Music Festival in Israel to sing songs of peace and coexistence. With the brutal murder of more than 1,200 innocent men, women and children by cowardly terrorists, a part of all of us died that day,” the mayor said. “Hundreds more were taken hostage in the aftermath, and many still remain in captivity today.
“And as we see the devastation wrought on innocent people in the Middle East in the aftermath of this unprovoked attack, the thought of peace becomes even more distant,” he added. “But that is exactly why we must continue to strive for peace — for the safe return of all of the hostages, for the defeat of Hamas, and for an end to this deadly conflict.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had also ordered that flags on State buildings be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Monday “in mourning and honor of the victims of the attack on Israel one year ago.”
Additionally, the governor directed landmarks to be illuminated in yellow in solidarity with Israel and the hostages still in captivity.
“One year after the horrific atrocities committed against the people of Israel, my heart goes out to the victims and their families,” Hochul said. “New York stands with Israel — today and every day.
“As the home of the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, we will do everything in our power to defend against the forces of hatred and stand firmly against those who perpetuate it,” she added.
In a White House statement, Democratic Presidential Nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, the daughter of retired Jamaican-born economist Dr. Donald Harris, said she will “never forget the horror of Oct. 7, 2023, noting that 1,200 innocent people, including 46 Americans, were “massacred by Hamas terrorists, women raped on the side of the road, 250 people kidnapped.
“It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” she said. “What Hamas did that day was pure evil; it was brutal and sickening. And it has rekindled a deep fear among the Jewish people not just in Israel but in the United States and around the world.
“The long, extraordinary arc of Jewish history is full of pogroms and prejudice, slaughter and separation,” Harris noted. “And now, in our own generation, there is another moment that the world must never forget.
“I am devastated by the loss and pain of the Israeli people as a result of the heinous Oct. 7 attack,” she added. “Doug and I pray for the families of the victims and hope they find solace in remembering the lives their loved ones lived.
“We also pray for the safety of Jewish people all around the world,” the US vice president continued. “We all must ensure nothing like the horrors of Oct. 7 ever happen again. I will do everything in my power to ensure that the threat Hamas poses is eliminated, that it is never again able to govern Gaza, that it fails in its mission to annihilate Israel, and that the people of Gaza are free from the grip of Hamas.”
Harris also said she will never stop fighting for the release of all the hostages, including the seven American citizens, living and deceased, still held: Omer, Edan, Sagui, Keith, Judy, Gad, and Itay.
“I will never stop fighting for justice for those who murdered Hersh Goldberg-Polin and other Americans,” she pledged. “And I will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists like Hamas. My commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering.
