'Standing with Israel' – Christians join British Jews in Hyde Park rally commemorating Oct 7 anniversary

Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Tzipi Hotovely, and the UK’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mervis, both acknowledged the support of Christians on Sunday at a huge rally commemorating one year since the devastating Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel.

“Standing with Israel and the Jewish community is always moving,” said Len Grates, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem’s Director of Development. “To witness the dignity and quiet determination to see Israel and the hostages freed; what an honor to stand with them,” he told ALL ISRAEL NEWS.

A reported 20,000-30,000 people gathered in the famous London park, close to Buckingham Palace, in remembrance of the over 1,200 mostly Jewish Israelis murdered – including 14 British nationals – and 251 taken hostage to Gaza, 97 of whom remain in Hamas captivity.

Representing ‘Repairing the Breach,’ a British charity dedicated to making amends for damage done during the British Mandate, in denying refuge to Holocaust survivors, Tamar Taylor was glad to be able to attend the special event.

“It was heartwarming to see so many Israeli, British, Iranian, and even Indian flags, flying right in the center of London,” she told ALL ISRAEL NEWS. The “most moving” speech for Taylor was by Mandy Damari, mother of the only British-Israeli hostage [remaining] in Gaza. 

“She spoke so eloquently about Emily, and her love for England, and despite her grief, was able to articulate her sadness at the lack of intervention by the British government to negotiate for Emily’s release.” 

British-born Damari met her Israeli husband while in her 20s, and raised their four children and grandchildren in Israel, living in Kibbutz Kfar Aza until Oct. 7, 2023. Apologizing for the weather, the devastated mother thanked the crowd for coming.

She made an impassioned query as to whether the British public is even aware that one of their own is being tortured in Gaza’s terror tunnels, “20 meters or more underground.” Damari then described her beautiful daughter, who has turned 28 in captivity.

Though she has been “stripped of every human right, Emily’s love for life is contagious,” said her mother. “She adores coming to visit her family here and seeing her Grandad. She has a classic, British sense of humor, with a dash of Israeli chutzpa thrown in for good measure…”

“When she was young, her favorite place was London Zoo, not far from here. As she got older, she turned into a big foodie, always dragging us to her favorite restaurant. We go shopping in Primark and visit markets for a good bargain. She went to see Spurs [soccer team], who she loves, cheering them on in their new stadium with her brother - and she loves going to the pub.” 

“For her, that was England, and she loved her second home across the sea, and always looked forward to coming here. Now, all of that joy and that light is locked away. One year has passed, and she’s still in hell.”

In contrast to many of the recent pro-Palestinian marches through London, “there were no hate slogans, only shouts of ‘Bring them home!’ and ‘Let them go!’” Taylor commented. 

“The Kaddish [Jewish prayer honoring the dead] was both sung and spoken and it had started to drizzle as the event began, and it seemed to me quite symbolic, that God was weeping for the slain of His people.” 

The two words, ‘pain’ and ‘moving,’ are those which “always come to mind in attending many October 7 memorial events calling for the release of the Israeli (and other nations’) hostages,” reflected Grates.

“Israel and the Jewish people worldwide feel the pain of what took place and what continues, in the present battle against terrorism.” 

Rallies in support of Israel and the hostages took place in dozens of other major cities worldwide, including in the United States, Australia and Canada. In the Czech Republic, church bells rang in the capital and across the country in memory of the victims of the massacres.

On Monday, the Germany-based Christian movement ‘March of Life’ spearheaded vigils at 6:29 a.m. IST – marking the moment Hamas terrorists invaded Israel from Gaza exactly one year before. The vigils took place in more than 130 cities worldwide, from Bujumbura to Belfast to Berlin, under the banner: ‘We will never forget October 7th.’