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Day 262 Hostages Update: Video Shows Hamas Kidnapping Three Hostages; Mother of Hostage Naama Levy Writes Heartbreaking Letter to Daughter on 20th Birthday Today, the families of hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy, Eliya Cohen, and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum released disturbing footage documenting their sons’ abduction from a field shelter near the Nova music festival on October 7. The two-minute video, edited and blurred at the requests of families, shows the three bloodied hostages being led by terrorists onto the flatbed of a pickup truck before heading to Gaza. Goldberg-Polin, who appeared in an undated Hamas propaganda video in April, can be seen clutching his arm that had been partially blown off below the elbow. On Saturday, thousands gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square to mark Israeli hostage Naama Levy’s 20th birthday. Naama’s mother, Dr. Ayelet Levy Shachar, penned a public letter to Naama to raise awareness of her story. “You should be celebrating this occasion surrounded by friends and family. Instead, you are enduring your 260th day as a hostage in Gaza surrounded by terrorists,” wrote Shachar. “The uncertainty and dread I experience is suffocating, and each passing day that you are not with us feels like an eternity. We will not stop fighting for you until you are home.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — Here are the top developments on Israel’s two military fronts, and in the U.S. battle against antisemitism, as of Monday, June 24, according to the American Jewish Committee:1 thought on “American Jewish Committee’s Israel Update: June 24, 2024”
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Comment sent to editor@sdjewishworld.com included the following:
The Community Security Service (CSS), the leading Jewish community-based security organization in the United States, expressed deep concern today over the level of antisemitism and anti-Israel hostility that has afflicted the Los Angeles Jewish community over the past 24 hours, which has included the blocking of congregants from entering a synagogue, intimidation, violence, and antisemitic harassment.
Richard Priem, CSS CEO, issued the following statement:
“The intimidation, harassment and violence against the Jewish community of Los Angeles serves as a wake up call to elected officials and law enforcement across the country that anti-Jewish animus poses a tangible threat to society. We commend our local and national elected officials for their strong condemnations. At the same time, we call on the authorities to step up even more in the protection of Jewish institutions.
While we are experiencing an increased interest in community engagement following the October 7th attacks in Israel, the Jewish community must begin to adopt a more proactive role in its own protection. A prerequisite for our safety is the direct involvement of the members themselves playing a role in security – a cultural mindset of which Jewish communities outside of the United States have adopted for decades.
The recent events taking place in LA and across the country in the wake of the October 7th attacks – which are producing a high sense of vulnerability across the Jewish denominational spectrum – must prompt more tangible action. We remain committed to empowering and training the community to do just that.”
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