Ambassador of the State of Israel in Bucharest, Lior Ben Dor, attending on Wednesday a commemorative event marking three years since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, that Israel continues to fight to defend its citizens and its existence against terrorist organizations and Iran.

'Three years have passed since October 7, and we are still living with the trauma, the fear and the horrors of that day. We continue to share in the pain of those who were wounded, the families who lost their loved ones, the people who were left without homes and the survivors of captivity. Three years have passed since October 7, and Israel is still fighting to defend its citizens and its existence against cruel enemies, against terrorist organizations and against Iran, which is behind them. We are determined to defend ourselves because we have no choice. This is our only country. We are patriots and we love the country we built 78 years ago. And we are determined to defend it and continue to build it,' the Israeli diplomat said at the special remembrance event marking three years since the October 7 massacre, held at the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant.

Lior Ben Dor criticized what he called 'an absurd hypocrisy in certain segments of international public opinion and, unfortunately, also on the part of some governments of European countries,' and praised the solidarity shown by Romania towards Israel.

'Some choose to ignore, minimize or even forget what happened that day. Instead, they accuse Israel and boycott Israel. And by doing so, regrettably, they end up providing a form of support to terrorists. It is important to state this very clearly that in Romania, the Romanian people and the Romanian Government understand the situation, stand in solidarity with Israel and support Israel. We greatly appreciate this and are deeply grateful,' Lior Ben Dor said.

The ambassador stressed that the events of October 7 further need to be presented and commemorated, even though remembering them is painful.

'We will never forget. We will never be able to erase from our memory what happened that day. We will not forget the entire families who were killed, entire families who disappeared in a single day. We won't forget the children who were left orphaned and the lives that were shattered. This memory will live within us forever. But it will also make us stronger. It will make us even more determined and resolute to defend our country, our people and our future. We have an obligation to speak about our truth, about our justice and about our path. (...) Am Yisrael Chai ('The People of Israel lives,' ed. note). The People of Israel will endure forever. Many have tried to exterminate us, but we are determined to continue living, defending ourselves and building our future!' the ambassador of the State of Israel to Romania, Lior Ben Dor, said.

President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania (FCER), deputy Silviu Vexler said that this day should be one 'of joy and tranquility,' because 'it is the first commemoration at which all the hostages, alive or dead, have been returned home.'

'I believed, and I was convinced, that this day should be, I don't know whether this is the right word, a day of joy and a day of tranquility. It is the first commemoration at which all the hostages, alive or dead, have returned home. And it is certainly a reason for joy, or at least a pause from the pain that has accompanied each such event over the years. The only truly sad and painful thing, at least as I see it, is that the only way to be released from this pain would have been if at least some of the victims who fell had been sitting on these empty chairs next to us. All remembrance events, whatever they may be, are wonderful and have a truly important and deeply meaningful role. But no commemoration, no speech, no word and no image will be able to bring back beside us all the innocent people who were killed,' Silviu Vexler said.

He stressed that 'it is imperative for every society to find the antibodies it needs to fight the evil around it' and revealed that, during a conversation he had two years ago, when everyone 'was criticizing the actions of the State of Israel, what happened, the way things were handled,' he had asked them 'a simple question.'

'If what you saw happening there, if what you saw in those images, were to happen here tomorrow morning, if those who were killed were your parents, your grandparents, your brothers or sisters, your children, how would you react? Would you give a speech about what is theoretically elegant, precisely accurate, impeccably done, would you want immediate results? If, instead of seeing a stranger being held in a cage and treated worse than a dog, if that person were a member of your family, what would you say and how would you expect the state to react and protect them? If those crimes hadn't happened in Israel but, God forbid, had they happened here, not farther away, not in another city, not somewhere else, what would the real reaction be? And that evening absolute silence set in; I have still not received an answer to this day,' the FCER president said.

Vexler also remarked that transforming pain into a call for society 'to do what needs to be done and what is right to ensure that the entire society has a normal and dignified life' represents, in his view, 'the most appropriate way to honor the sacred memory of the victims, the most beautiful way to show respect to the survivors.'

'Let us do what is within our power to support the survivors, who will continue to live with this tragedy in their hearts,' Silviu Vexler said in conclusion.

Messages from the Presidency of Romania and the Foreign Affairs Ministry were delivered by State Advisor Vlad Ionescu and Secretary of State Clara Staicu.

During the event organized by the Embassy of the State of Israel in Romania, footage from the October 7, 2023 massacre was shown, and two survivors of the tragic events - Lev Kreitman and Eitan Halley - shared with those in attendance accounts of the horrific moments they experienced three years ago.

Hamas launched an attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, killing at least 1,400 people, mainly civilians, who were shot, mutilated or burned alive, according to Israeli authorities. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)