The 7 October attacks were another awful chapter in the history of antisemitism

One year on, we must recognise that this brutal massacre was rooted in the same irrational hatred that has pursued Jews throughout their history, writes Karen Pollock of the Holocaust Educational Trust

Shlomo Mansour turned 86 while being held captive, having been kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October 2023. He was dragged from his home in his pyjamas, forced into his own car, and driven to Gaza.

For Shlomo, this was not the first time he had been the victim of anti-Jewish hatred. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Shlomo was just 13 when the Farhud – the 1941 pogrom that saw his Jewish community in Iraq devastated by violence – unfolded. The same antisemitism that caused his suffering in Baghdad decades ago had once again come for him – this time at the hands of Hamas.

On 7 October, the world watched in horror as Hamas launched a barbaric assault on Israel, killing over 1,200 people and injuring thousands more. Among those who were brutalised, tortured, and taken from their homes were 251 men, women, and children. They were kidnapped, dragged into Gaza, and paraded through the streets. One of them was Alex Dancyg – someone who dedicated his life to educating people about the Holocaust and the threat of antisemitism. He was later murdered by Hamas.

A year on, 101 of those hostages remain in captivity. Some are known to be dead, while the fate of others is left uncertain, their families living in a nightmare that no one should ever have to experience.

Working in the field of Holocaust education, I have been exposed to some of the most heinous acts of cruelty, hatred, and inhumanity that mankind has ever known. Six million men, women, and children were murdered on an industrial scale, all because they were Jewish. This history is not only painful, but personal, and it pains me to know our Holocaust survivors are witnessing these horrific events in their later years.

Because the 7 October attack was not just an act of barbarity – it was an act rooted in antisemitism.

Antisemitism is a shapeshifter. It may look different in every era, but its core is always the same: an irrational hatred of Jews that transcends borders and ideologies – the very same hatred that fuelled the Holocaust, the Farhud and so many other atrocities in Jewish history. These events did not manifest on their own – but rather were driven by a toxic ideology that saw Jewish people as less than human.

The pogroms, expulsions, and massacres that followed Jewish communities throughout history were not isolated incidents; they were part of a long-standing narrative of antisemitism. This same hatred drove the events of 7 October, when Jews were murdered in their homes, at a music festival, and in front of their families.

Today, 101 hostages remain in Gaza. They are grandparents like Shlomo, as well as people’s mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers. They are children like Kfir and Ariel Bibas, whose faces we all now recognise. Kfir has now spent more of his life in captivity than in freedom.

They are innocents held captive by a terror organisation that sees Jewish lives as expendable. Their suffering is the latest chapter in a centuries-old story of Jewish persecution. While the news agenda may move on, we cannot allow these 101 individuals to become invisible.

“Release the hostages” cannot be allowed to become a soundbite used by politicians. It must be a demand by our leaders – by everyone – to Hamas and Iran, and to all those who have agency.

We also cannot afford to ignore the root cause of this massacre. This was not a battle over land. This was not about politics. It was an act of pure antisemitism aimed at erasing the Jewish people. And if we do not call it by its name – if we do not confront this head on – we risk allowing it to continue unchallenged.

The lessons of the Holocaust are clear: anti-Jewish hatred must be confronted wherever it is found, and it must be called out for what it is.

Times are as fragile and fraught as ever. Jewish communities around the world have just marked the new year – usually a time to celebrate with loved ones – but this year are in a state of anxiety and grief.

Our message is clear: we must not let these hostages be forgotten. We must not let their suffering be erased. We must not forget those murdered by terrorists on this fateful day.

A year on, we must recognise that this attack was born of the same hatred that gave rise to the Farhud, the pogroms, and the Holocaust. We must stand against it together – before it claims more lives, more futures and more hope.

Bring them home.

Karen Pollock is chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust