October 7, 2024
Here is a collection of 11 resources that all advocates for Israel and the Jewish people need to know as we mark the anniversary of October 7. See all articles, explainers, and more at AJC.org/IsraelatWar.
1. Meet the Seven American Hostages Still Held By Hamas
Seven American hostages are still Hamas’ terror dungeons: Edan Alexander, Itay Chen Z”L, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Gadi Haggai Z”L, Judith Weinstein Haggai Z”L, Omer Neutra, and Keith Siegel. They are brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, and friends whose stories must be told until they—and all the hostages—are home.
2. One Year Later, Why Can’t the UN Lay Blame for October 7 Where it Belongs?
In an op-ed for the Forward, AJC CEO Ted Deutch asserts that the UN must condemn Hamas for the atrocities of October 7, demand the release of the hostages, and reaffirm its commitment to human rights and the rule of law. Read and share Ted’s op-ed
3. Everything you Need to Know About the Iran-backed Terror Group Hezbollah
Bent on eradicating Israel and murdering Israelis, Hezbollah has launched over 12,000 rockets and drones at the Jewish state since October 8, including its deadly strike in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in July that killed 12 kids and wounded several others. Here’s what to know about the terror group’s escalation against Israel, its firepower, its recently-assassinated chief Hassan Nasrallah, and its elite Radwan unit that inspired Hamas’ massacre on October 7.
4. Five Reasons Why the Events in Gaza Are Not “Genocide”
Israel’s military operation to defend itself after Hamas’ October 7 atrocities has been falsely described as genocide against the Palestinians. Here are five reasons why the use of the term genocide to describe Israel’s self-defense campaign is inaccurate, misleading, and dangerous. Read now
5. What to Know About Iran’s Direct Attacks on Israel and its Global Terror Network
Iran's goal is to eliminate the Jewish state, as the regime openly calls for Israel's destruction. Their recent ballistic missile attack is part of a long-standing campaign against Israel and the Jewish people, with Iran also targeting U.S. military installations in the region. Over the years, Iran’s regime has used proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis to wage its murderous campaign against Israel. Here is what to know about Iran’s October and April direct attacks on Israel as well as the regime’s terror network around the world.
6. Five Facts About the Jewish People's Ancestral Connection to the Land of Israel
In the aftermath of October 7, there have been renewed attempts to rewrite history and assert that Jews are “foreign occupiers” with no ties to the land of Israel.
7. The Forgotten Exodus — The Untold Stories of Jews from Arab Lands and Iran
AJC launched season two of The Forgotten Exodus, a multi-award-winning podcast series featuring Hen Mazzig, Oren Safdie, and more about a period of modern history that the world has overlooked: the 800,000 Jews who left or were driven from their homes due to antisemitism in Arab nations and Iran in the mid-20th century.
8. The Chaos at Columbia: What It’s Like to be Jewish on Campus Right Now
Noa Fay—a graduate student at Columbia and AJC Sharon Greene Award for Campus Advocacy recipient—shared her first-hand perspective of the anti-Israel, antisemitic, and pro-Hamas protests that roiled her campus last year.
9. Matisyahu’s Message to His Fellow Jews and to the Israel Haters Trying to Cancel Him
The Grammy-nominated, Jewish American singer has faced anti-Israel protests at several of his concerts. Some have been canceled. But it won’t deter him from standing up for Jews everywhere.
10. AJC’s Voices Against Antisemitism
Jewish celebrities and influencers Jennifer Jason Leigh, Eitan Bernath, Lizzy Savetsky, Elon Gold, Modi Rosenfeld joined AJC to speak out against rapidly rising antisemitism and anti-Israel hate, humanizing how it feels to be Jewish in America at this critical moment. Start by watching their video about anti-zionism—a particularly insidious form of antisemitism disguises itself as animus toward Israel.
11. Heroes of Israel: AJC Honors Nasreen Yousef
At AJC Global Forum 2024, the premier global Jewish advocacy conference, AJC honored Nasreen Yousef, whose calm demeanor and quick thinking helped prevent a massacre in the village of Moshav Yated on October 7. Yousef, a Druze mother of four who speaks Arabic, convinced Hamas terrorists that she would give them money and smuggle them out, while she gathered critical intelligence and passed it to the Israel Defense Forces. Watch Nasreen’s story below, and her heartfelt remarks from the Global Forum stage in Washington, D.C.
Visit AJC’s Israel at War page to stay informed, share the facts, and rally your networks to take action in support of Israel and against the terrorists that continue to jeopardize its safety and security.
