The Great Neck community gathered together to mourn the lives of the six Israeli hostages recently killed in Gaza, with Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral declaring that the Jewish people will be victorious in the war against Hamas.
“We will not forget you,” Bral said of the hostages. “And for [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar, I hope that your days are numbered and I hope that before Shabbat that we hear news that you are no longer in this world… and after Shabbat we will hear good news that Israel has won a complete victory.”
More than 100 community members assembled on the Village Green Park’s lawn Friday to memorialize the lives of the six hostages killed, encompassing a collection of local religious leaders, elected officials and residents of all ages.
The service was described as being non-partisan, with the intent of unifying the Jewish community to mourn and honor the lives lost. Speakers at the service include Bral, Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip (R–Great Neck) and multiple local rabbis.
The memorial, hosted by the Village of Great Neck, honored Almog Sarusi, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who Israeli officials announced Sept. 1 were killed. Their bodies were found in a tunnel under the city of Rafah and they were presumed to have been killed hours before soldiers recovered them.
Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American, was abducted from the Nova music festival like four of the other slain hostages and was one of the three hostages killed who were expected to be released in the first phase of a sought-after ceasefire agreement.
Bral spoke about the history of the Jewish people and how “not long ago,” six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Three years after the Holocaust ended, Israel was established in 1948 to be a Jewish state.
Since the establishment of Israel, multiple wars have broken out between Israel and Palestinians and the surrounding Arabic countries. Bral said that every time the Jews won.
“These people have not learned a lesson,” Bral said. “You can kill us, you can hurt us, you can never destroy us. The Jews are the eternal nation of God and we have been given the land of Israel to own and we will be there without you and from the river to the sea will be Israel with no Palestinian state ever being built in that place because that’s what God says, that’s what we say.”
Bral blamed the conflict on Palestinian leaders, saying “some” Palestinians are good people but that their leaders have rejected peace.
“We will not forgive Hamas,” Bral said. “The enemies of the Jews have always lost and they will lose again.”
Ceasefire agreements have failed thus far, with challenges being posed as the United States works to bring the war to an end. U.S. officials have reportedly stated that Hamas has made talks more challenging and may not want to reach an agreement, while Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed for a permanent presence in southwest Gaza despite international and U.S. opposition.
Despite the anguish, Pilip said something could be done.
“We can raise our voices,” Pilip said. “We can hold our leaders accountable. We can double our support for Israel.”
