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"As we stand here today, a hole has been torn in the heart of the Jewish people, a wound that will never heal, a hole that will never be forgotten," said Danny Danon.
By HANNAH SARISOHN FEBRUARY 24, 2025 21:02
CANDLES ARE lit in memory of Oded Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas, and her children, Ariel and Kfir, in Kiryat Gat, this past Saturday night. Shiva is not only an acknowledgment of loss; it is also a structured path back to life, says the writer.
(photo credit: Dor Pazuelo/Flash90)
Nearly 80 ambassadors, diplomats, and staff gathered Monday morning for a memorial ceremony at the United Nations where Park East Synagogue's Cantor Benny Rogosnitzky led Kaddish for the Bibas family and Oded Lifshitz, whose pictures sat on display at the front of a conference room next to a small bowl of orange pins.
"As we stand here today, a hole has been torn in the heart of the Jewish people, a wound that will never heal, a hole that will never be forgotten," Danny Danon, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, said at the start of the ceremony.
At an earlier news briefing, Danon criticized the international body for its silence on the killing of the Bibas children.
"That silence was permission, and Hamas heard it," Danon said, adding Israel has started to "collect the debt Hamas owes us, and we will complete the mission."
Danon said Israel would eliminate every terrorist who had a hand in the Bibas' murder, kidnapping, and torture.
During the memorial ceremony, Danon said, "Every tunnel Hamas hides in will become their grave."
"Israel will not be silent. We will speak their names. We will demand justice, and we will not stop until every hostage is home and Hamas is eradicated," he said.
Delaying of Palestinian prisoner release
Danon confirmed that Israel is delaying the release of the Palestinian prisoners because of Hamas parading the hostages before their release.
"We have seen the horrible parades, and it's not part of the framework we agreed upon," Danon said. "We want to make sure that we will not see those parades again."
Danon said negotiations regarding the parading of hostages are still ongoing.
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Francisco Tropepi, Argentina's Ambassador to the UN, also addressed the memorial ceremony in recognition of the Bibas family's dual Argentinian-Israeli citizenship.
"This is not a distant tribute for me, for my family, for the Argentinian government. This is not just a list of name names in a diplomatic speech," Tropepi said. "Each of these lost lives pain us, each devastated family, each story left unfinished by the reality of the terrorist group Hamas for the sole reason of being Jewish."
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