We commemorate the victims and those affected by the Hamas terror of October 7, 2023.

The Hamas attack on the people of Israel with around 1200 dead and 251 kidnapped hostages was planned, indiscriminate, cruel and obviously guided by absolute hatred of everything supposedly Jewish. A crime that should fill every reasonable person with disgust and horror. Understanding or even cheering for this terror is out of the question. And no: no yes but…

Of course, there is a long history to this day, characterized by violence, humiliation and disenfranchisement. A humanitarian organization like CADUS in particular must consider the context in which conflicts and wars take place. Killing people, especially civilians, can never be right – that is the minimum humanitarian consensus. We can and should criticize the terror of Hamas and the war waged by the Israeli government and its army, which primarily affects ordinary people in Gaza, in equal measure. Injustice remains injustice.

But on this day, on October 7, it is important to focus for a moment on what happened in Israel a year ago. On this day when so many people were killed, including more Jews* than at any time since the Holocaust. Such terror against people cannot be justified by anything and it is based on a problem that is much older than the ongoing conflict: this problem is called anti-Semitism.

The victims of October 7 are direct victims of an anti-Semitism that has existed for hundreds of years, deeply rooted in all levels of society worldwide. This is also the case in Germany, where anti-Semitic crimes have doubled since the attacks. Today, it is important to remember the victims of precisely this anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism must be condemned, regardless of the guise in which it manifests itself, regardless of where it occurs and regardless of the reasons used to justify it.

Anti-Semitism should be a thorn in the side of every person who cares about freedom, justice and humanism, and October 7 should be a day to oppose it. For these people, however, the day will also be an occasion to oppose the devastating war in Gaza. Because the two do not contradict each other and both deserve their place.

Let us commemorate together the victims and those affected on October 7, 2023.
Against anti-Semitism, against war – never again!