WE ARE CONNECTED. German-Israeli Youth Exchange in Support for Israel

WE ARE CONNECTED. That is a statement. An assurance. A commitment. An affirmation of the deep and diverse connections between young people and people of all generations from Germany and Israel.

One year after October 7, we are connected in our concern for the existence of the State of Israel and for the lives of all people living there.

We are connected in commemorating more than 1,200 people who were attacked and brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

We are connected in our concern for the hostages who have been held captive in Gaza for a year now and whose fate is yet unclear.

We are connected in our empathy for the internally displaced persons in Israel, who do not have the chance to return to their homes in the south and north of the country, because these regions are constantly being attacked.

We are connected in our worry for the many people who have been traumatized and injured throughout this war, started by Islamist terrorists. We are connected in our grief for the many lives of civilians and children that the war has taken over the past year.

We are connected in our offensive engagement against Antisemitism and hostility towards Israel wherever we are facing it. We will not fade in our efforts to counter traditional hostility towards Jews and delegitimizing rejection of Israel with a clear stance and with effective educational programs, especially in Germany.

We are connected in our wish that the people of Israel will live in secure borders and in a region without war. We are connected in our hope for a time in which peaceful coexistence will connect the people of Israel with its neighboring countries.

One year after October 7, we are closely connected – through compassion, heart-to-heart conversations and encounters in exchange – despite and because of pain, grief and despair.

We are connected in hope.