VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Marking one year since the Hamas attack on Israel, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and many others spent the morning honoring the lives lost, and those still being held hostage.
The somber memorial started with stories from Israel, describing what it was like to be there on that fateful day. Hundreds died on Oct. 7 2023, igniting a violent war, protest movements across the country and a massive social shift. ODU students joined those marking one year since the attacks at a ceremony hosted by the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community.
“I’ve witnessed my own peers gather together to call for the genocide of Zionists and Israelis, I’ve witnessed the protests, I’ve heard all the chants, and I’ve felt all the hatred down to my core,” described ODU Hillel student Noah Gross.
Governor Glenn Youngkin rallied against hatred and antisemitism.
“My friends, this is a day for us to stand together and to recognize that together, we can move mountains,” Youngkin said.
The Governor spoke about one of the hostages, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who used to live in Richmond. He was among a group of other hostages who were killed earlier this year.
“We must continue to say that we will never forget, and so today, we keep that promise.”
Youngkin handed a proclamation and the flag of Virginia to UJFT President, David Leon. With it, the Commonwealth officially commemorates the one year mark of the Hamas attack on Israel.
“It is hereby officially recognized a day of remembrance for the victims of October 7th Hamas attack on Israel,” Youngkin said.
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine also released a statement following the one year mark of the Hamas attack. The statement can be read in full below:
One year ago, at the end of Sukkot and the beginning of Simchat Torah, Hamas inflicted horrific violence in a sickening attack on Israel, brutally murdering nearly 1,200 Israelis and taking 251 hostages. Today and every day, we mourn the lives lost on October 7 and the suffering of civilians in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon in he year since. It’s long past time for Israel and Hamas to reach a deal to release the hostages and establish a ceasefire in Gaza. It is in the best interest of U.S. and Israeli national security, as well as for the safety of U.S. servicemembers in the Middle East, that we urgently de-escalate tensions across the region and find a path back to peace – so the Israeli, Palestinian, and Lebanese people can live side by side as neighbors and with the safety and dignity they deserve.
Sen. Tim Kaine
Several dozen people are still being held hostage, including four Americans, according to reports. It is estimated that more than 40,000 people have died since the war started.
