MK Ben-Ari in a special discussion at the Council of Europe: The whole world is threatened; help us get our children back.
"In a special discussion in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe titled 'Islamic Violence in the Middle East following Hamas' attack on Israel,' Knesset member Merav Ben-Ari addressed the audience via video call and said:
"I'm speaking to you from my car, en route to another funeral of a victim of Hamas' terror activities.
"Four of my good friends buried their children who went to a party. You can't comprehend this. I can't comprehend this. My heart is heavy with grief and fear following the cruel bloodbath carried out by Hamas against Israeli civilians.
"These heinous acts of terrorism did not distinguish between young and old, religious and secular, Israelis and foreign nationals.
"Kidnapped women were paraded through the streets of Gaza. Hostages, of all ages and nationalities, are now being used as part of Hamas' sickening psychological warfare.
"Hamas terrorists, fueled by extreme Islamic ideology and funded by the world's biggest sponsor of terror, Iran, have revealed their true faces to the world.
"The events of recent days remind us that we are not witnessing a mere political dispute, but rather a battle between good and evil, civilization and barbarism, self-defense and aggression.
"This battle is not just taking place on our doorstep. It is a threat to the entire world. When innocent lives are taken, when children and civilians are mercilessly killed, any claim to a moral high ground is null and void. There is no justification for terrorism or the slaughter of communities - period.
"You can help: act to bring back our children and our elderly, deprived of food and medicine, held by Hamas.
"We are grateful for the strong condemnations and supportive statements in Israel's right to defend itself. Your continued support is critical because Israel is acting endlessly to protect its citizens from evil forces.
"Let us send a strong message to the world: We stand united against violence and terrorism."
The words of Knesset Member Ben Ari received the applause of many parliamentarians across Europe who listened to his speech on the screen in the plenary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Right after that, Bernard Sabella, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, spoke, saying: "There is no justification for killing innocent children and civilians, but also among us, entire families have been wiped out as a result of Israeli attacks, and a quarter of a million people remain without shelter. For those who seek collective punishment for the Palestinian population due to the actions of Hamas, it does not serve anyone and only moves us further away from peace."
Parliament members from Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, and other countries strongly condemned Hamas' acts of terrorism. However, the majority of them called on Israel to respond in a "proportional" manner, as they defined it, and to provide basic conditions for the population.
Uri Michael, spokesperson for the international activities of the Knesset, at 050-6230238.