World leaders express support for Israel, Jewish community on first anniversary of Oct 7 attack

World leaders expressed their support for Israel and the Jewish people on Monday, marking the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion and massive attack that resulted in the murder of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 people from southern Israeli border communities near Gaza.

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the citizens of Israel people in a post on 𝕏, written in Hebrew.

"We will not forget the fallen, the hostages, and the families whose hearts are broken from their absence or the expectation of return," he wrote.

The new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted that the Oct. 7 massacre was the greatest tragedy in Jewish history since the Holocaust.

“7 October 2023 was the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust,” Starmer stated. The British premier vowed to support the British Jewish community amid a dramatic rise in antisemitism since last October.

“One year on from these horrific attacks we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a country. We will not falter in our pursuit of peace and on this day of pain and sorrow, we honour those we lost and continue in our determination to return those still held hostage, help those who are suffering, and secure a better future for the Middle East.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed Germany’s support for the Jewish state and the hope for a better future in the Middle East.

"We will not falter in our pursuit of peace, and on this day of pain and sorrow, we honor those we lost and continue in our determination to return those still held hostage, help those who are suffering, and secure a better future for the Middle East,” Scholz wrote on 𝕏.

"We share the pain with you," he added.

The former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also articulated his support for the Israeli citizens.

"A year after the October 7 massacre it feels as though the world is forgetting the horror and the evil that took place that day. It is time for us to stand with Israel,” Johnson stated. "Bring back moral clarity. Bring back the hostages.”

Japanese Ambassador to Israel Arai Yusuke offered his nation's condolences for all the murdered and wounded Israelis on and since Oct. 7. He highlighted Japan's strong condemnation of Hamas' brutal massacre of Israeli civilians and expressed hope for the return of the remaining hostages still held in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

Macron’s support for Oct. 7 victims comes just days after he openly called for a weapons embargo on Israel. While the French president has backed Israel’s right to defend itself from Iran's regional proxies, he has increasingly expressed opposition to Israel’s ongoing military operations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the calls by Macron and other Western leaders for an arms embargo while Israel continues to defend itself and secure the safety of its citizens.

“As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel's side. Yet, President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. Shame on them,” Netanyahu stated.

The prime minister vowed that with or without international support, the Jewish state would eventually emerge victorious against the Iranian-led terror axis.