Israel’s Mission to the United Nations held an event at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday to mark three years since the October 7 massacre. Hundreds of participants, ambassadors, and senior diplomats from numerous countries attended, including the United States, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Tanzania, and others.
The story of Eliya Cohen and Ziv Abud was at the center of the event. The two arrived together at the Nova music festival and sought shelter in a bomb shelter in Re’im that became the scene of a massacre. Eliya was abducted to Gaza and held captive by Hamas for 505 days, while Ziv survived the massacre and worked throughout his captivity to secure his release. Only after he returned from captivity did Eliya learn that Ziv had survived.
During the event, Dr. Phil held a special conversation with the two about their story, their struggles, and their journey toward recovery.
Speeches were delivered by Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, and US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz. Staff Sergeant (Res.) Oriya Berlin shared her personal account of serving as an IDF lookout at the Re’im base on October 7, while singer Idan Raichel performed several songs.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, stated, “Three years later, we stand at the heart of the United Nations to deliver a simple message: October 7 can never be erased, rewritten, or forgotten. The pain remains with us, but it has not broken us. Eliya and Ziv are living proof of the resilience of the people of Israel: even from the depths of hell, we rise, we recover, and we choose life. We will continue to build, thrive, and fight for our future. Am Yisrael Chai."
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz: "October 7 can never, ever happen again, and it will not ever happen again, and certainly not under this President's watch. October 7 completely, and I think irreversibly, has backfired on Iran and all of their terrorist proxies. Meanwhile, the Abraham Accords are actually expanding. today, right now, as we speak, Iron Dome technology is protecting cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai. that just was completely unthinkable - the terrorists are on their back foot. America will always stand with the Jewish people".