US President Joe Biden issued a statement on Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of the October 7th massacre, stressing that it was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
"On this Memorial Day, which also falls on the holiest days of the Jewish calendar, we honor the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people and mourn the victims of October 7. May their memory be a blessing," the US president concluded.
Biden continued: "On this day last year, the sun rose on what was supposed to be a joyous Jewish holiday. By sunset, October 7 has become the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust," he said.
He noted that more than 1,200 innocent people were murdered by the Hamas terror group, including 46 American citizens. Biden also emphasized the horror, the fact that at first the world denied that Hamas had committed horrific acts of sexual violence. "One year since more than 250 innocent people were taken hostage, including 12 Americans," the statement said, "one year for survivors bearing wounds, visible and invisible, that will never be the same."
He went on to say: "Let us witness the unimaginable cruelty of the October 7 attacks, but also the beauty of the lives stolen that day." He spoke about his visit to Israel when the war broke out: "I made it clear to the people of Israel: You are not alone." He went on to emphasize that his administration is committed to the security of the Jewish people and the State of Israel: "We support Israel's right to defend itself against attacks by Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and Iran."
