Tice, MP for Boston and Skegness and twinned with Ohel, said he is “so missed – his smile, his laughter, his music. He’s one of the most talented pianists of his generation.
“We’ve lost all of that for now. But we still hope and pray that will change.”
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Dozens gathered in the station for the vigil (Photo: Elliott Franks)[Missing Credit]
In an interview with the JC, Tice called for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages: “Bring them home, then we can talk about the future of Gaza without Hamas... How can Israel deal with Hamas remaining in power in Gaza? We all want peace, we all want the killing to stop, but Hamas can never be trusted.”
Elected last July, Tice criticised his fellow Parliamentarians who “never talk about the hostages”.
Tory MP Jack Rankin echoed this sentiment. “There is an urgent question almost every fortnight about the ongoing conflict in Gaza,” Rankin said. He claimed: "There are tens if not hundreds of members of Parliament effectively there to pander to Islamist votes.”
Rankin, twinned with Or, said meeting the hostage’s British-Israeli mother, Ditza, made him think of his own mother.
“Avinatan looked like me in many different ways. He was 30 when he was taken into captivity. He is my age.
MP Jack Rankin, twinned with Avinatan Or, said he was 'committed to carry Avinatan's name into the heart of Parliament' (Photo: Elliott Franks)[Missing Credit]
“This isn’t a political thing, this is a humanitarian thing. Particularly with Ditza being British, this is a British thing as well. We have a responsibility – those of us in the British parliament – to keep bringing these stories to the forefront of people’s minds,” Rankin said.
Addressing the vigil, Rabbi Nick Kett of Radlett United Synagogue, Or’s cousin, said: “Over the last 648 days, I’ve been asked a few times to speak about Avinatan and I’ve always hesitated.”
But he described how his synagogue had “adopted” Or, giving him a dedicated seat in the shul. “That seat carries both hope and heartbreak,” Kett said. Or’s girlfriend, Noa Argamani, was rescued from Gaza last June along with three other hostages.
Revealing that Or’s sister is soon to be wed, Kett added: “The family continues to grow and change.
“But Avinatan is not where he should be. He should be at her chuppah.
"The pain we all feel – 648 days of it – makes this personal for all of us. Avinatan is family for all of us.
“But because our people are not whole while Avinatan, Alon, and all the remaining hostages are still not home. We pray because they are our brothers and sisters. We pray because we believe in redemption. In reunions. In miracles.”
Rabbi Nick Kett, the cousin of Avinatan Or, spoke of his family's anguish (Photo: Elliott Franks)[Missing Credit]
Meanwhile Asi Sharabi, a family member of Alon Ohel, told the crowd that music was Ohel’s “soul’s expression, his passion, his language.” He spoke of the “strength and grace” of Ohel’s parents and siblings, saying: “They are the ones giving us strength”.
Ohel’s music, he said, was “a reminder that even in darkness, beauty and connection are still possible”, and “through music, we can transcend fear and hatred”.
Sharabi added he believed “deeply, resolutely” that Ohel will come home. “We picture him at the piano once more... we imagine life beyond this nightmare.”
He told the crowd: “This war must end,” and prayed “that Israelis and Palestinians will one day find a way of not living in this endless loop of death, hatred and fear – and will find a way for both peoples to live in safety, dignity, and harmony, as good neighbours”.
He called on a deal to secure the hostages release and the end of the war. “There is a deal that will get Alon and all the rest of the hostages back home. We need to put as much pressure as possible on both sides to accept this deal now.”
Reverend Hayley Ace, co-founder of Christian Action Against Antisemitism, also addressed the crowd. She wore a hostage dog tag necklace given to her by Or’s mother and a yellow scarf given to her by his sister.
"The reason we do this is because these are real people... In a world where hostages are being dehumanised or being used as political points, we can’t allow this to become a norm.”
The vigil, supported by Stop the Hate and the UK branch of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, concluded with music from Yuval Kavkin and communal singing.
