Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Central Park on Sunday morning to mark 150 days since the captives were taken in the devastating October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.
“This support is really moving,” said Keren Munder, who was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz with other members of her family. She was released in November, during a temporary ceasefire, with her 9-year-old son, Ohad, and her mother, Ruti, 78. Her father, Avraham Munder, 78, remains in captivity.
“I really feel the support and I hope it will help us return them home,” Munder told the New York Jewish Week. “It warms the heart and feels like all the Jewish people are unified for this purpose.”
Many held signs with photos of the hostages, some with “156 days” written on the placards, the number of days since the hostages were taken. Organizers distributed flags from over 30 countries representing the different nationalities of the hostages.
Gilad Korngold, whose son Tal Shoham was taken hostage from his home on Kibbutz Beeri, urged the crowd to pressure elected officials to take action to release the captives.
“We need all of you because the only power who can move something in the Middle East is the US,” Korngold said, adding that the United States should increase its pressure on Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to reach a hostage deal. “Please do everything you can do.”
Other speakers included Mark Treyger, the new head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York; Eric Dinowitz, the leader of the city council’s Jewish Caucus; and Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of Manhattan’s Reform Central Synagogue.
Perhaps we need to call him out for attacking Israel. We know this type. 1930s had kapos.
Why is there so antisemitism here and abroad?