Members of Muslim and Jewish groups united on Wednesday in Midtown as nearly a dozen family members of hostages taken in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, met with an interfaith group and expressed hope for the release of all those still held captive.
The gathering, taking place more than 550 days after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel and took hundreds of people hostage, sought to demonstrate that the release of all remaining hostages was a humanitarian, not a political cause.
The participants in the April 9 event wore shirts and carried posters with pictures of loved ones and their ages, including one with the number crossed out and increased twice — a sign of the passage of time. Some wore yellow ribbon pins, symbols of efforts to bring them home.
“Families traveled from Israel to New York, so New Yorkers will know their plight, agony and wisdom,” said Sheikh Musa Drammeh, president of Muslims Israel Dialogue, which organized the event. “This is a group that represents the diversity of New York. We are here representing different religions.”
At the April 9 meeting at the Hotel ADKA Nomad, Drammeh spoke of the importance of people of different faiths showing solidarity regarding those captured on Oct. 7, 2023, which has been looked upon as Israel’s own 9/11.
“We stand united in our demand for the immediate release of all hostages,” said former Knesset member Emillie Moatti, of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. “We will do everything within our power to ensure that their voices are heard and their stories are told, and we call on all decision-makers to take immediate action to secure their freedom.”
Muslims at the April 9 event expressed solidarity regarding the hostages, including Anila Ali, president and CEO of the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council.
“They were making peace with the Gazan neighbors. They were not even the enemy. What have we done as leaders? Have we reminded ourselves of that shared heritage,” she said. “We come from the same line. I ask all of you to share this common heritage whether you’re Muslim, Jewish or Christian.”
Others talked about the need for young people of different religions to treat each other as friends, not simply with fear.
“As a mother, it’s extremely painful,” said Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, professor and director of religious studies at Manhattan University. “My kids are raised as Muslims to be arm-in-arm with their Jewish friends, and they are.”
Fathers, mothers and other family members of hostages talked about monitoring loved ones and the frustration of a long captivity.
“We know he is alive and healthy,” Yehuda Cohen said of his son Nimrod Cohen, taken from the Nahal Oz kibbutz, noting information from released hostages and Israeli intelligence. “We are fighting for his release.”
While the wider war continues, each family member talked about their private war to save a loved one’s life or return their body.
“They heard him from the other room where he was not given food to eat,” said Matan Angrest’s grandmother Rina Angrest. “They gave him some biscuits. He shared them with another hostage.”
Kochav Levinson, who called himself “the proud father of Shay Levison,” killed on Oct. 7, 2023, said his son sought to unite people even as leaders did at this meeting.
“He took upon himself a mission. He was sort of a bridge between Arabs and Jews,” Levinson said. “In his short life, he managed to take his studies to the next level. He studied Arabic language and culture. A whole Arabic village came to pay its respects.”
Family members said they are speaking out in the hope that action can help free loved ones.
“As far as I’m concerned as a parent, I have an obligation to secure his life,” Cohen continued. “I want to make sure his life is secure.”
Many credited President Donald Trump and the United States government with helping facilitate the latest hostage release. They appealed to the United Nations, Israeli and U.S. governments, and Jewish and Muslim organizations and sought to mobilize public opinion.
“We are gathered in a room, but your story is a global story of resilience, a story that should never, ever be repeated,” said Lisa Katz, chief government affairs officer at the Combat Antisemitism Movement. “We are here to listen to you, to show you solidarity and fellowship, to learn about you and your ordeal.”
Rabbi Bob Kaplan, executive director of the Center for a Shared Society, a division of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, said unity is essential regarding release.
“So many are saying we need peace. We need the hostages returned immediately,” Rabbi Kaplan said. “There are so many that stand with us in the world of Islam.”
He noted the importance of Passover, which takes place this Saturday, of focusing on those not able to celebrate with their families.
“I know it’s hard to celebrate Pesach, but it’s an eternal message,” Rabbi Kaplan continued. “The space that we’re in, we’ll get out of that space and move forward. I want you to know that people are standing with you.”
Others talked about how Oct. 7 and the ensuing war further divided people along religious lines rather than uniting religions.
“Every day I get calls from families hurting because they see Muslims and Jews not talking to each other,” Katz said. “Muslims are realizing that what Hamas has done has hijacked our relationship. It is up to us to take it back.”
