After six of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas last year were found dead in Gaza on Sunday, hundreds of Americans gathered at Los Angeles’ Nova exhibit to pay their respects.
Five of the six hostages — Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Eden Yerushalmi — were taken from the Israeli music festival on Oct. 7, 2023.
Rabbi Joel Nickerson led the Sunday night memorial that featured Scooter Braun and Noa Tishby as guest speakers. Cindy Crawford, Eve Barlow, WME agent Brad Slater and “Stranger Things” star Brett Gelman were among those in attendance.
“The six hostages were murdered by Hamas terrorists with several close-range gunshots,” Israeli health ministry spokesperson Shira Solomon told Agence France-Presse on Sunday, as IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, “According to our initial estimation, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists a short time before we reached them.”
Meanwhile, Hamas blamed Israel for the deaths, noting that three of the hostages were supposed to be released as part of the failed July 2 cease-fire agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a taped statement, adding, “Three months ago, on May 27, Israel agreed to a hostage release deal with the full backing of the United States. Hamas refused. Even after the United States updated the outline of the deal on Aug. 16 — we agreed, and Hamas again refused.”
However, the volunteer-run Hostages Families Forum had its own response, telling Netanyahu to “stop blaming everyone” and to “take responsibility for the thwarting [of a deal.] Take responsibility for the neglect. Take responsibility for the hostages who were murdered in captivity.”
“Today, The Families will Bring the Nation to a Halt As Foot-Dragging Continues, Hostages Are Dying After 11 months of neglect of 107 hostages, the Hostages Families Forum call on the public to join a massive demonstration, demanding a complete halt of the country and the immediate implementation of a deal to release the hostages,” fellow organization Bring Them Home Now urged. “Today, the entire nation will stand alongside the hostages’ families to protest the cabinet’s ongoing neglect of the hostages. They will also call upon leaders of the world to exert all possible pressure on Hamas to sign the deal.”
The Oct. 7 memorial exhibition, “06:29 am — The Moment Music Stood Still,” originally launched with a 10-week run in Tel Aviv. It was subsequently brought to California in August by U.S. partners Braun, Rebel founder Joe Teplow and former Alphasense exec Josh Kadden after three months in New York City.
Braun said at the time that the exhibit will help “pay tribute, heal and find a community amongst each other” after the death of more than 370 concertgoers and the abduction of 44 more from the festival, part of the estimated 1,200 killed in the attacks. “Our hope is that opening in L.A. gives an opportunity for people of all views and communities to come together as one. We refuse to stay in the darkness. We will stand in the light and we will dance again.”
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