National protest to demand release of hostages in central London this Sunday - The Jewish Chronicle

A large Jewish community-wide demonstration will be taking place this Sunday in London to demand the release of the hostages in Gaza, more than 670 days after they were taken captive by Hamas.

The National March for the Hostages will begin at 3pm and has received cross-denominational backing, with the Office of the Chief Rabbi and United Synagogue, Progressive Judaism, the S&P Sephardi Community, and Masorti all participating alongside numerous advocacy groups.

The march seeks to demand the release of the hostages, with organisers writing that their “time is running out”.

Groups partnering or participating in the demonstration include Stop the Hate, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), UJIA, Union of Jewish Students (UJS), and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Protesters wave Israeli flags and hold photos of people held hostage by Hamas in Gaza (Credit: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images

There will be several speakers on the day including Michael Weiger, chief executive of the Board, Claudia Mendoza, chief executive of the JLC, Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy, co-leads of Progressive Judaism, a speaker from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK and others.

The march is also being supported by Stand With Us UK, Christian Action Against Antisemitism (CAAA), Our Fight, Hineni, #EndJewHatred, Herut UK, National Jewish Assembly (NJA), We Believe In Israel, BICOM, Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), Glasgow Friends of Israel, and North West Friends of Israel.

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[Missing Credit]

Of the approximately 250 hostages taken on October 7, 50 are still being held in Gaza, with around 20 of them believed to be alive.

Last Thursday, Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of Rom Braslavski, thin and crying, and on Saturday, Hamas released footage of an emaciated Evyatar David, with him saying that he was digging his own grave.

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced last month that the UK would recognise a Palestinian state by September unless Israel met a series of conditions, including allowing more aid access and agreeing to a ceasefire. He has stated previously that the release of the hostages should be a defining condition for any ceasefire, but critics have argued the recent policy shift of not strictly tying recognition of a Palestinian state to hostage release weakens leverage over Hamas.

Ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire tied to a hostage deal have, in recent days, reportedly stalled completely, with Israel and the US withdrawing their delegations from Doha and accusing Hamas of refusing to act in good faith.

This article has been amended to reflect a change in the focus of the march, which went from calling on the government to include the safe return of the hostages as part of its recognition of Palestinian statehood to being solely about the hostages.

To register for the march, click here

Topics:

October 7

Hostages

National March for Hostages