Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis on Tuesday led what he called the first-ever delegation of New York-based foreign consuls general to Israel, taking them to the site of the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, where Hamas terrorists murdered more than 360 people on October 7.
The visit, organized with the American Jewish Committee (AJC), included the consuls general of Argentina, Bulgaria and Slovakia. Standing among the burned cars and makeshift memorials, Akunis said that “crimes against humanity were committed here: rape and then the brutal murder of young women, the burning of bodies and the severing of limbs.”
“Some world leaders have already forgotten what Hamas terrorists did to these young women and partygoers,” he continued. “They are brazenly advancing the idea of a Palestinian terror state, a reward for Hamas."
'Remind an amnesiac international community' about Oct. 7 atrocities
"We do not forget and we do not forgive, and we will remind an amnesiac international community of the events of October 7 every single day.”
Delegates heard testimony from survivors and first responders and viewed video evidence compiled by Israeli authorities.
Akunis said the tour was intended to give the diplomats unfiltered exposure to the atrocities before they return to their posts in New York, where many engage regularly with the United Nations and the media.