“On this tragic anniversary, I want to honour the memories of the victims,” Ursula von der Leyen  said in a written statement, adding that the EU “stands with all the innocent people whose lives have been shattered to the core since that fateful day.”

“There can be no justification for Hamas’ acts of terror. I condemn once again, and in the strongest possible terms, those barbarous attacks,” she said.

 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will Monday evening attend a ceremony in the Great Synagogue of Brussels commemorating the October 7, 2023 attacks in which Hamas terrorists killed around 1,200 Israelis and took some 250 hostages into Gaza.

She will be accompanied by two other members of the European Commission, Vice-Presidents Vera Jourova and Margaritis Schinas.

Quickly following the October 7 massacres in Israel, von der Leyen had expressed solidarity with Israel. A few days after, she travelled to Israel together with the president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola. The two visited kibbutz Kfar Aza where Hamas terrorists massacred dozens of residents, expressing the right of Israeml to defebnd itself.

She was criticized then by some who decried her ‘’pro-Israel bias.’’

On Sunday, on the eve of the first anniversary of 7th October terrorist attack, von der Leyen said that “our hearts are also with the Jewish communities across the world.’’

“On this tragic anniversary, I want to honour the memories of the victims,” she said in a written statement, adding that the EU “stands with all the innocent people whose lives have been shattered to the core since that fateful day.”

“There can be no justification for Hamas’ acts of terror. I condemn once again, and in the strongest possible terms, those barbarous attacks,” she said;

Hamas’ attack “brought immense suffering not only upon the people of Israel, but also upon innocent Palestinians,” she added.

The European Commission President reiterated the EU’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages.

She was also due to meet with Alon Nimrodi, father of Tamir Nimrodi, a 19-year-old soldier who was abducted at the Erez crossing border one year ago and is still held in captivity in Gaza.

Asked by European Jewish Press what he would tell von der Leyen when he meets her, Nimrodi answered: ‘’We as a country, Israel, we are standing in front of the terror. We are the barrier between the terror and Europe. So don’t be blind, be with us.’’

He said he met in New York in the sidelines of the UN General Assembly ith EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell: ‘’I told him a small thing: everybody likes to drink wine , beer or whiskey. Try to get a bottle of whiskey or of wine in getting into Gaza. Let’s see if you will come back. For the women, go in swimsuits to fantastic beaches in the Gaza Strip and let’s see if you come back. So don’t talk with Israel about human rights when there is even not one single human right in Gaza. This is my message. ‘’

In Strasbourg, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will address lawmakers to mark the October 7 anniversary.