Tuesday marked two years since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel.
Hamas invaded Israeli settlements along the border of the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, who were mostly civilians, and taking 251 people hostage.
It was the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
Memorials took place across New York state on Tuesday to commemorate the attack and the start of the Jewish holiday Sukkot.
Indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas are continuing in Egypt to negotiate a 20-point plan that President Donald Trump has proposed to end the fighting.
The conflict has upended global politics over the last two years and has resulted in the death of more than 67,000 Palestinians.
The FBI has reported a sharp rise in reported hate crimes against Jewish-Americans since the start of the war, with attacks and bomb threats on college campuses and at synagogues.
New York lawmakers targeted legislative action to combat the rise of antisemitism this year, which includes mandating teaching Holocaust history in schools, and making it a misdemeanor to damage or remove pro-Israeli banners or displays.
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law this summer to require all colleges and universities hire a Title VI coordinator, or person who enforces civil rights and responds to discrimination, including antisemitism.
State Assemblymember Nily Rozic, D-Queens, was born in Israel and has been a loud advocate for hostages and their families, including two New Yorkers.
She’s hopeful peace talks will result in all hostages being released.
“That security concern is always in the back of my mind. I’m not sure that other people have that experience day after day after day,” Rozic said. “That’s very real for me and my family. You know, when we go to synagogue, we’re always sort of looking over our shoulder and that’s an unfortunate risk that we take, but we have to continue to live our lives and make sure we’re doing everything we can to make our family feel safe and whole.”
A growing number of experts, including some commissioned by the United Nations, say Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently denies that accusation.