Ladies and gentlemen, dear members and friends,
the horrific attack on Israel by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on 7 October 2023 has brutally thrust into our present what was not thought possible: a massacre of unimaginable proportions in which defenceless people, young people, elderly, disabled, children and babies, entire families died a cruel death. – The largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust.
In the meantime, sympathy for Hamas is growing in many Arab states and in other terrorist groups. The danger of multi-front attacks is increasing. Israel is unintentionally at war.
As the twinning association „Freundeskreis Beer Sheva“ (FKBS), we once again firmly condemn the cynical, insidious crime committed by Hamas against the Israeli population.
There can be no relativization or justification for this barbaric, inhumane bloodbath against Jews.
We mourn with our close friends and families in Israel and in our twin city Beer Sheva, as well as with all those who are exposed to the boundless pain of murdered, seriously injured and hostage-taken relatives.
We stand by the side of all our Jewish fellow citizens and friends who are threatened by anti-Semitic acts in Wuppertal and Germany. Every attack on them is an attack on all of us! We stand up for the right to life and freedom of all people oppressed by terrorists!
In view of the indescribable suffering that has affected so many people in Israel, we ask for your understanding that we are rededicating our planned anniversary celebration.
All the more urgently we invite you to a
Commemoration and Solidarity event
on Sunday, November 05, 2023, at 6:00 pm,
in the Gemarker Church, Zwinglistr. 5, 42275 Wuppertal.
As guests and speakers we expect:
- Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind / Lord Mayor
- Jürgen Hardt (MdB) / Vice President of the DIG (German-Israeli Association) and member of the Foreign Affairs
Committee of the Bundestag - Helge Lindh (MdB) / Member of the Committees on Internal Affairs and Culture of the Bundestag
- Dr. Gil Yaron / Head of the NRW Office for Economy, Science, Education, Youth and Culture in Israel (Tel Aviv).
The Martfeld Quartett (Liviu Neagu Gruber) and the Roswitha Dasch Ensemble will provide an appropriate musical framework.
We are counting on your presence!
One more important thing: As a result of this indescribable crime, which has befallen thousands of innocent people through death, injuries, total loss of property, evacuations and trauma, there is great need in many areas of Israel, despite the exemplary efforts of volunteers. That is why we too would like to provide help promptly and in cooperation with the choir Kantorei Barmen-Gemarke, especially where there are long-standing and trusting cooperation and personal contacts.
Please support our efforts! We want to contribute to alleviating the highly critical, existential emergency situation in at least two of the many cases we have received as „appeals for help“ (KAMEA and Kibbuzim).
For donations to one of the FKBS accounts (see below) with the keyword „Israel“ or „Help for Israel“, we will of course issue donation receipts. – Thank you very much! Toda raba!
FKBS-Project-Bank Account – IBAN: DE25 3305 0000 0074 8555 03
Best regards, also on behalf of the board, and SHALOM;
Arno Gerlach (Chairman)