CAP’s Patrick Gaspard Commemorates Anniversary of Oct. 7 Attacks

A statement from CAP CEO Patrick Gaspard Problems viewing this email? [View it in your browser]( [Center for American Progress]( STATEMENT: CAP’s Patrick Gaspard Commemorates Anniversary of Oct. 7 Attacks One year ago today, militants from Hamas and other armed groups launched heinous terrorist attacks on towns, kibbutzim, and a music festival in southern Israel. The assault killed 1,195 people on that day, including 815 civilians, also taking hostage 251 Israelis and foreigners, more than 50 of whom have now been confirmed dead. In remembrance of this grim anniversary, [Patrick Gaspard]( president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the [following statement]( It is traumatizing to remember the horrendous atrocities that took place in Israel on October 7—the searing images of families massacred in their homes; young people murdered at a music festival; and hundreds of men, women, and children brutally kidnapped and taken hostage. But we must always remember. And our memories obligate us to work toward a lasting peace. I recently traveled to Israel and stood on the ground where this slaughter took place. I was shaken as I moved through the Nova Festival fields where young people who gathered for peace were cut down in their prime. I toured a kibbutz still scarred by the evil visited upon its people. A lifelong resident asked me to “pray, protest, and post” for the safe return of the hostages from her community. All the while, the air reverberated with the rumbling of warfare in Gaza. The anniversary is even more poignant as it comes between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a time of faith and introspection for Jews around the world. We honor the memories of those who perished, and we recognize the trauma facing the many hostages still awaiting safe return home. This day also marks a year of extreme suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank who have endured unprecedented death and destruction under continuous bombardment and displacement as they struggle to receive humanitarian aid. It’s a solemn reminder that terrorism is never justified and does nothing to further the quest for security and rights in a region with a long history of loss and suffering. We pray, protest, and post for peace. Peace is not a passive state, but rather the hard work we are all called to in order to achieve a ceasefire and, ultimately, a resolution of this conflict that will assure security and rights for all. [Share MY Statement]( Best, Patrick Gaspard President and Chief Executive Officer Center for American Progress [Support CAP]( [Manage Email Preferences or Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( [Center for American Progress]( Center for American Progress 1333 H Street NW Washington, D.C. 20005 [supporter]