Trump, Harris Mark Anniversary of Hamas Attack on Israel

The former president joined Jewish leaders in New York and Miami, while the vice president observed the anniversary by planting a tree in her garden.
Trump, Harris Mark Anniversary of Hamas Attack on Israel
(Left) Former President Donald Trump speaks to attendees during a campaign rally at the Mosack Group warehouse in Mint Hill, N.C., on Sept. 25, 2024. (Right) Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at an event hosted by The Economic Club of Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, on Sept. 25, 2024. Brandon Bell, Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
Janice Hisle
Updated:
0:00

Former President Donald Trump joined Jewish leaders in New York and Miami on Oct. 7, a year after Hamas terrorists unleashed “an attack on humanity itself,” he said.

As the Republican nominee seeks to regain the presidency in the Nov. 5 election, he repeated his past pledge.

“Here is my commitment to you on the solemn date,” he told an audience at the Trump National Doral in Miami.

“I will not allow the Jewish state to be threatened with destruction. I will not allow another Holocaust of the Jewish people. I will not allow a jihad to be waged on America or our allies. And I will support Israel’s right to win its war on terror.”

About 1,200 people died, and 250 others were taken hostage in the attack on southern Israel; many victims were sexually assaulted and tortured.

Trump also promised to defend the Jewish population in America and to combat antisemitism, which has been on the rise as some people, particularly college students, protest against Israel.

Meanwhile, Trump’s Democratic political opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, said she would continue efforts to release people that terrorists were still holding captive.

Harris, whose husband Doug Emhoff is Jewish, said she wants to “relieve the immense suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza who have experienced so much pain and loss over the year.”

The couple planted a pomegranate tree, a symbol of hope in Judaism, outside their residence.

“I am devastated by the loss and pain of the Israeli people as a result of the heinous October 7 attack. Doug and I pray for the families of the victims and hope they find solace in remembering the lives their loved ones lived,” a prepared statement from Harris said.

She promised, “to ensure that the threat Hamas poses is eliminated, that it is never again able to govern Gaza, that it fails in its mission to annihilate Israel, and that the people of Gaza are free from the grip of Hamas.”

A day before the commemoration, Harris appeared in an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” and repeated her support for a ceasefire.

“We’re not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel and in the region, including Arab leaders,” Harris said.

She did not directly answer a question asking whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a “real close ally.” Instead, she acknowledged there is “an important alliance between the U.S. and Israel.”

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Vice President Kamala Harris plant a pomegranate tree at the vice president's residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington on Oct. 7, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Vice President Kamala Harris plant a pomegranate tree at the vice president's residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington on Oct. 7, 2024. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Remembering ‘The Darkest Day’

The former president and some of his supporters, including political donor Dr. Miriam Adelson, say that if he had remained in office, the terrorist attack would have been prevented.
Trump has touted a “peace through strength” stance. During his presidency, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the Abraham Accords, a historic agreement designed to stabilize relations between Israel and other nations in the Middle East.

Adelson, who spoke before Trump at the Miami event, said Oct. 7, 2023, was “The darkest day of my life—of countless lives.”

She told the audience she was certain that enemies “wouldn’t have dared” to attack Israel while Trump served as commander-in-chief.

The audience applauded in agreement and chanted, “Trump!”

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a candle at a remembrance event to mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel at Trump National Doral golf club in Miami, Fla., on Oct. 7, 2024. (Chandan Khanna/AFP)
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a candle at a remembrance event to mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel at Trump National Doral golf club in Miami, Fla., on Oct. 7, 2024. Chandan Khanna/AFP

Visual Reminders

As candles flickered onstage, representing the souls of people who were killed, photos of the deceased lined a wall. Yellow roses and photographs sat on chairs, placeholders for the hostages.

Referring to those displays, Trump said, “These endless candles, photos, and empty chairs remind us why it’s so important that the toxic poison of antisemitism be condemned, confronted, and stopped ... It has no place in our universities, and it has no place in the United States of America.”

The hostages included a dozen Americans, one of whom was recently slain. Although some have been released, the fate of others remains unknown.

Trump said he had spoken with relatives of one hostage from America, and they believe he is still alive now.

Honoring people who were killed or taken hostage by terrorists who attacked Israel in 2023, photographs were displayed at the Trump National Doral Miami on the anniversary of the attack, Oct. 7, 2024. (Iris Tao/NTD News for The Epoch Times)
Honoring people who were killed or taken hostage by terrorists who attacked Israel in 2023, photographs were displayed at the Trump National Doral Miami on the anniversary of the attack, Oct. 7, 2024. Iris Tao/NTD News for The Epoch Times

Earlier in the day, Trump commemorated the anniversary with members of the Orthodox Jewish community in Queens, New York, at a sacred tomb.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed.
Janice Hisle
Janice Hisle
Reporter
Janice Hisle reports on former President Donald Trump's campaign for the 2024 general election ballot and related issues. Before joining The Epoch Times, she worked for more than two decades as a reporter for newspapers in Ohio and authored several books. She is a graduate of Kent State University's journalism program. You can reach Janice at: [email protected]
twitter
truth