Museum Statement on the Anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 Attack on Israel

WASHINGTON, DC – One year ago, Hamas terrorists orchestrated an unconscionable attack on Israel, resulting in the single deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. More than 1,200 men, women, and children were brutally murdered. Many victims were raped, and over 250 were taken hostage, 35 of whom are known to have been killed while 101, including seven Americans, remain unaccounted for. Since the attack, an unprecedented wave of antisemitism, Holocaust distortion, and Holocaust denial has swept the globe.

“The Jewish State is precious to survivors, and the events on October 7 had a shattering impact on me,” said Holocaust survivor Alfred Münzer. “We have to do everything we possibly can to counter antisemitism and all forms of hate, remind people that we are really members of one human family, and mourn the loss of all innocent lives in this war.”

“Holocaust survivors have always been our best teachers and are especially so now with the alarming eruption of antisemitism online, on campuses, and in cities worldwide,” said United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Chairman Stuart E. Eizenstat. “History teaches that antisemitism is often the ‘canary in the coal mine’—an urgent warning sign for democracies and all societies. That’s why it’s critical that Americans from every walk of life confront antisemitism and all group-targeted hatred.”

About the Museum

A nonpartisan federal, educational institution, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding, and relevance. Through the power of Holocaust history, the Museum challenges leaders and individuals worldwide to think critically about their role in society and to confront antisemitism and other forms of hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.