The images of over 1,000 persons abducted, missing, or murdered – civilians and soldiers – in the Hamas incursion into Israel were displayed Thursday on empty seats in the Smolarz Auditorium at Tel Aviv University (TAU).
The exhibit was a joint initiative of the TAU Student Union and the university in collaboration with United Against Terrorism, an extensive initiative that includes many campuses worldwide.
The goal is to help with Israel’s public diplomacy efforts and expose the horrors of the Hamas attack. The initiative was led by Daniel Zilber, chairman of the student union.
The exhibit is also part of a broad initiative led by Shaked Benafshi, initiator of the students’ public diplomacy war room.
United Against Terrorism
United Against Terrorism, which includes dozens of support rallies and exhibits at some 20 leading universities in the US and Europe, is to assist Israel's public diplomacy efforts and expose the horrors of the Hamas terror attack.
Participating campuses include Harvard, Yale, New York University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Michigan, Columbia University, and many others.
Zilber said: “At this time we are still in the midst of the inferno, in the midst of war. Many of the dead have not been identified yet; the wounded are just beginning to heal in both body and soul; and our families, our friends, are lost. We are here to try to illustrate, even slightly, the extent of the horror, and show the world: we have been butchered. This is neither a slogan nor a cliché.
"Despite the carnage, we shall triumph," he said. "Despite the disaster, we shall come out stronger. We, the students, the future generation of the State of Israel, will do everything to make sure that such a disaster never happens again – not on our watch!”
Benafshi, former chairman of the National Union of Israeli Students, added: “The rallies and exhibits in support of Israel, including the War Room we opened this week, which includes over 100 students all over the world, prove that international solidarity does exist when it comes to unacceptable acts of terrorism. We see students coming together in unprecedented ways, to strengthen Israel's publicity and stand behind us.
"Also, since we assume that as time goes by international public opinion will probably turn against Israel, we regard the activities of citizens and students in dozens of countries worldwide as a strategic asset for Israel's public diplomacy,” Benafshi said.
Liyam Chitayat, a freshman at MIT explained: “Our lives have been shattered, divided forever into before and after. We have lost family members, friends, and communities in the worst, most inhuman ways possible. We are conducting this activity to show the faces and stories behind the numbers and stand together openly and proudly. We will not be afraid and will speak out for our brothers and sisters in Israel.”