Both major party presidential nominees held tributes on Monday to mark one year since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack by Iran-backed Hamas on Israel.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump participated in somber remembrances to honor the lives of 1,200 people killed exactly one year ago, including 46 American citizens.
Harris, along with her Jewish husband Doug Emhoff, planted a memorial tree on the grounds of the Vice President’s Residence in honor of those killed a year ago. The pomegranate tree represents hope and righteousness in Judaism, according to Harris.
Harris said the tree will serve as “a symbol of strength and endurance” of Jewish people and remind future vice presidents and their families who live there to always have faith. She dedicated the tree to the “1,200 innocent souls” who were killed by Hamas terrorists.
“Religion begins with a consciousness that something is asked of us,” Harris stated, citing Jewish philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel.
Harris reiterated that Israel has a right to defend itself but also called for the end of Palestinian suffering.
“What is asked of us? We must uphold the commitment to repair the world, an idea that has been passed on throughout generations of the Jewish people and across many faiths. And to that end, we must work to relieve the immense suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza who have experienced so much pain and loss over the year,” she said.
The vice president’s comments aligned with her statements earlier this year when she called for the Palestinian people “to realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self determination.”
Harris once again called for the release of all hostages, including American citizens living and deceased. About 100 people taken from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, remain in captivity.
Harris earlier released a statement through the White House and said that she would never forget the horror of the “deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.” She also called the attack “pure evil” and described it as “brutal” and “sickening.”
The vice president also pledged that the Biden administration continues to do everything in her power to ensure that the threat Hamas poses is eliminated.
When asked by reporters if a ceasefire deal was possible before Election Day, Harris answered with, “We will never give up.”
Meanwhile, Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, visited the Nova Exhibition in Los Angeles. The installation honors the victims killed while attending a music festival in Israel on Oct. 7.
Harris and Walz have both stressed that a two-state solution as the ultimate goal of U.S. policy when it comes to Israel and Palestine.
Biden Commemorates Oct. 7
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden participated in a candle-lighting remembrance and observed a moment of silence at the White House to honor the victims of Oct. 7. Rabbi Aaron Alexander joined the president and first lady and recited a prayer.
The one-year commemoration comes amid escalating tensions in the region. Iran recently launched nearly 200 missiles into Israel, prompting concerns of a wider regional conflict. The attack was in retaliation for Israel’s killing of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
Trump Visits Sacred Site, Attends Remembrance Ceremony
Meanwhile, Trump visited Ohel Chabad Lubavitch, the final resting place of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in Queens, New York, to commemorate those killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre.
The former president, who wore a kippah, also placed a personal note at the sacred site for Hasidic Jews and led a prayer for the United States, Israel, the hostages, and peace.
In keeping with traditional Jewish custom, Trump laid a stone on top of the gravesite of the long time Jewish leader.
He later participated in a remembrance ceremony at Trump International Resort in Dural, Florida, where he honored those who were killed.
After candles were lit in remembrance of the Oct. 7 victims, Trump reflected on what he called the terrible atrocities of Oct. 7.
The former president reiterated his support for Israel’s right to defend itself in the conflict.
“The bond between the United States and Israel is strong and enduring,” Trump said, adding that it will be closer than ever before under a Trump presidency. He also said that the November election will not only be the most important for the United States but for Israel as well.
This attack should have rallied the entire world, according to Trump. But instead, the “toxic poison” of anti-semitism emerged.
Trump further pledged that he will not allow “another Holocaust of Jewish people.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance told supporters in Washington that the only way to end the war is to secure the release of all hostages.
“Hamas started this but Israel is going to finish it,” Vance said, adding that peace comes through strength.
Vance also said that Trump will end Harris’s “weak policies” that embolden America’s enemies and undercut Israel’s ability to defend itself.
In a statement, the Trump campaign said that the atrocities of Oct. 7 would have never happened under his watch.
“For Americans and Israelis alike, it’s imperative that President Trump is re-elected so he can end the bloodshed caused by an emboldened Iranian terrorist regime, which is stronger and richer today from the Harris-Biden Administration’s incompetence and weak policies,” according to Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign.
Trump on the campaign trail has often described himself as the “best friend that Israel has ever had.”
Trump also stated that he is the most “pro-Israel president in U.S. history, someone that the Jewish community can count on.”
The 2024 Race
The conflict in the Middle East has emerged as an issue in the 2024 election.
During the presidential debate, Trump accused Harris of hating Israel and predicted that Israel would not exist within two years if she is elected to the White House.
“I have, my entire career and life, supported Israel and the Israeli people,” Harris said in response. “He knows that. He’s trying to again divide and distract from the reality, which is very well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy.”
Harris stated that she supports a ceasefire deal in Gaza that would see the release of the remaining 100 captives but during the debate also renewed her pledge to continue to arm Israel amid the conflict.
A Pew Research poll recently asked registered voters to prioritize the long-range foreign policy goals of the United States, and 73 percent of survey participants said that preventing terrorist attacks should be the top foreign policy priority. That same survey showed that only 29 percent of respondents believe that finding a solution between Israelis and Palestinians is a top priority.