I want to share words with you here as a Shaliach as a messenger for a dear friend, a member of my community at New London Synagogue and one of the most remarkable people I have ever met.
Noam Sagi’s mother, Ada Sagi, has been missing since the atrocities
of last Saturday. Ada’s home is Kibbutz Nir Oz, a beautiful place close to the
border of Gaza. Last Saturday, attacking on the religious festival of Succot, the
Kibbutz was overrun by terrorists. As part of a ruthless planned military operation,
Hamas broke into the Kibbutz, along with so many other peaceful Kibbutzim and
villages along the Southern border, and murdered and destroyed and behaved with
a brutality that is beyond description. There are 1,300 dead as a result of
these invasions, some soldiers, but over 900 civilians.
In a country the size of Wales, with a population the size
only of London. I remember the terrorist attacks of 7/7, I remember the loss
and the grief – for 52 people murdered on that awful day.
But last week 1,300 were murdered.
And then over 150 are missing, presumed taken hostage, taken
into Gaza. The mind, the decent human mind struggles to conceive what this must
be like. Many of us have seen the awful footage of a father whose daughter was
initially thought to be missing, when he expresses relief that she is merely
dead. The heart breaks for a decent human being.
And yet, for Noam Sagi, and for so many family members of these
innocent people, missing, presumed taken hostage, this is the time for action. There
is no time for anything other than a rigorous focus on what needs to be done to
get the hostages home.
He is hurting but he is so grateful for the support he gains
from each of you here. He wants you to know that he is strong and resolutely focussed
on ensuring his mum, and all the hostages, can come home.
Noam wants us to know about his mother – Ada – a teacher of
Arabic, a former School principle, a 74-year-old grandmother, a woman who worked for peaceful co-existence
for decades, who now, in the year of her husband’s passing, and in need of
ongoing medical support, is presumed kidnapped.
Noam wants us to join with him in a demand that all the hostages
be freed immediately and unconditionally; in particular the children, the under
18, and those over 65. In the name of everything that is human, how can anyone
take such people from their homes and hold them hostage? It is, he says, and I
agree with all my heart, an affront to anything that is human to take such
people and hide such people. It , he says, and I agree with him, a matter of
saving life – a moral claim and a religious claim that Jews and Muslim share –
to save a life is to save an entire world.
This is his first priority – that all the hostages be freed
immediately and unconditionally; in particular the children, the under 18, and
those over 65.
His second priority is that a humanitarian corridor be opened
to allow an appropriate organisation in to verify who is there, assess their
most basic human needs. Ada is among the list of hostages taken who need
ongoing medical treatment. An organisation – Red Cross, MSF, anyone – should be
allowed into Gaza to assess and provide for the most basic human needs of the
hostages.
Standing here, outside the Mother of All Parliaments, Noam
wants to share his appreciation for the remarkably levels of support he has received
from his own MP, Dawn Butler. Dawn, if you are listening, thank you.
His message to the British Government is this. There are 17
British National murdered, or missing presumed kidnapped and a further two
British Nationals, of whom Noam is one, who have close relatives missing
presumed kidnapped. He needs, we all need, the British Government to do
anything they can to get them back. To show leadership, to return all civilian
hostages, especially women and children, released immediately. He shares he wishes
a representative of this Government would reach out to him directly. To any representative
of this Government, Noam deserves you to be directly in touch, to understand,
to show solidarity and to be inspired to fight for the release of the hostages.
His message to the Israeli Government is this – you have a
responsibility to protect the citizens who lived along this border, who
protected this border their lives. To any representatives of the Israeli Government
– Noam calls on you to do everything in their power to get these people out.
Any pathway should be exploited, any government, any organisation
can be contacted, must be contacted.
I think it’s also important to know that Noam carries no hate
for the people of Gaza, no hate for Muslims or Arabs. He is, of course, most
concerned for the health and return of his mother and other hostages taken from
the kibbutz where he grew up, but his love for all humanity remains resolute
and his concerns for those people of Gaza who are now caught up in the aftermath of the murders and worse
committed by Hamas remain. As they do, I am sure, for all of us here today. The
immediate release of these hostages will save lives, it will save lives of the
hostages and it will save lives of Gazans.
In our Synagogue, and in Jewish communities across the world,
we shared a prayer for the immediate redemption of the hostages. With your
permission, I would like to share it now. But before I do, I would love to take
a photograph of you all – to share with Noam, to show him our support for his
remarkable fight, to show him that we stand with him and all who are missing
loved ones. Can I ask that we take a few moments to share these evocations of
strength, this blessing for Noam and for all those engaged in this work in
silence.
I will take a photo which I will share with Noam, and then I
will lead a prayer, a plea, which I share with God and any human who can help.
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