The Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, led a multi-confessional prayer for peace in Warsaw's city center on Friday (October 13). Schudrich said that after the attacks and Hamas' call for attacks on Israeli civilians, all he could do was go out and pray in public. He added that abducting an elderly woman, "who survived the Holocaust," is not representative of Islam.
Dozens from different religious communities attended the gathering to show support for Israel after gunmen from Hamas entered Israeli territory on Saturday (October 7) resulting in over 1,300 deaths.
"It's always important to gather together and pray. And in the situation after the barbarism of last week, of last Shabbat, it is not possible to be quiet," the rabbi said.
"And on top of that, when I heard that someone from Hamas has declared that today, specifically today Friday, that good from their side should go out and kill every, attack every Jew, attack every Israeli, every Jew," he added. "I said well the only thing we could do is go out in public and pray."
"Kidnapping a grandmother, who survived the Holocaust and drag her in Gaza is not Islam," Schudrich said.
Israeli and foreign hostages were taken to Gaza, with Israel identifying 97 of them. Israel responded with an unprecedented bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 1,500 deaths as of Friday.
"O Allah! We condemn all acts of violence and terrorism. We ask for your guidance to lead us to the path of peace," said Poland-based Turkish journalist Huseyin Celik.
"We are just people and we have no strength. There is nothing we can do except pray for peace."
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters