Honoring the Victims of the Deadly Terrorist Attack Against Israel

This letter was read at a vigil in Denver on October 9th, 2023, to honor the victims of Hamas’s deadly terrorist attack against Israel.

We will remember October 7th as the day Israel came under attack by terrorists who sought to destroy it, and everything it stands for and everything it means.

Even with a world already wracked by violence, the death and destruction we’ve witnessed over the last two days has been brutal — especially the wanton targeting of civilians.

My heart breaks for the families who are grieving, those who are still searching for their loved ones, and the many who are living every moment in fear.

The full scale of this onslaught is now only coming into focus. In the coming days, we will see the death toll rise. We will hear more gruesome stories about those kidnapped and murdered. Fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, neighbors and friends will put on their uniforms and head to the frontlines.

As politics takes hold, the world will try to move on.

In these moments we cannot be deterred. We must support each other as a community here in Colorado and stand firmly with our ally Israel. We must fight for democracy and freedom. We must fight to ensure Congress is listening — and the world is listening.

Israel will never be the same. Our world will never be the same. What happened on Saturday will shape an entire generation of kids, families and communities.

I stand with our ally, Israel, and I want you to know I will do everything in my power to ensure it has the resources to defend itself.

Thank you for being here tonight, and Am Yisrael Chai.