WASHINGTON – On this one-year anniversary of the vicious October 7th attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas, U.S. Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) released the following video documenting his trip to Israel in April 2024.
In the video, Congressman Alford gives a firsthand look at the horrific damage from the brutal attack by Hamas terrorists, which killed 1,195 people and was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas terrorists took more than 200 people hostage in the attack, including American citizens.
Congressman Alford plans to return to Israel later this month and will hold a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Click here to download video/audio
The video includes firsthand accounts on the devastation from U.S. Representatives Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) and Celeste Maloy (UT-02) as well as Asher Afriat with the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF). The video closes with remarks from Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin who was taken hostage by Hamas for almost 11 months and was later brutally murdered.
“Like so many, we were sickened by the devastating attack on Israel by the Iran-backed Hamas terrorists. Touring the damage firsthand in Israel, it was nothing short of heartbreaking. Innocent humans were butchered, families were shattered, and a nation was left in mourning. The horrors we saw there were almost indescribable,” said Congressman Alford.
“This was more than just an attack on Israel. It was an attack on peace, stability, and the shared values that bind us as democracies. One year later, America continues to stand with Israel, and Israel must eradicate Hamas entirely,” Congressman Alford continued.
Following is a transcript of the video:
Asher Afriat: We’re in a small kibbutz in the Gaza envelope here, which is the immediate area to the border with the Gaza strip. It’s a small kibbutz, about 400 families. It was stormed by about 150 well-armed terrorists on the morning of October 7, that came from about less than a mile away, and they practically devastated the entire kibbutz. So, about a third of the members of the kibbutz are either killed, kidnapped, or injured on that day. This is the kibbutz that was most devastated on October 7. The terrorists, Hamas terrorists came in that morning. They killed, they butchered, they raped, they burnt, they looted, they left, and the Israeli army didn’t show up. Only about an hour and a half later, after Hamas left the kibbutz, did the army show up. This is clearly, you know, one of the most tragic examples for our failure on that day.
Rep. Van Orden: It’s really hard to describe to people the fact that these terrorists, that you can see where they lived, walked across the field and essentially attacked these villages, a series of them. One of the best parts about being an American citizen is you don’t understand that evil exists on this scale. And, one of the worst parts about being an American citizen is you don’t realize that evil like this exists at this scale. And it’s very difficult to explain to people that evil is real and that these savages from Hamas came here intentionally and targeted men, women, and children to rape and murder them, and dismember them while they’re alive, and burn their corpses to the point where they had to use DNA to identify their bodies.
Rep. Maloy: It’s hard to even take it in. There’s just so much destruction, so much hate that it’s hard to wrap my brain around. There’s houses that are burned and people that are murdered and people that have been kidnapped. It’s just heartbreaking. It’s hard to comprehend somebody coming in, murdering, maiming, and then having a picnic outside while the houses burn.
Rep. Alford: This is the Nova Festival Site here in Israel, where on October 7th, about 390 individuals were slaughtered here. They were here just enjoying music and a good time when terrorists hang glided in from Gaza and pretty much gunned them all down with AK-47s, leaving a path of destruction and despair. It’s now a memorial site where hundreds, if not thousands, come each week to pay tribute and homage to those killed.
Rep. Alford: We’re on top of Mount Bental now, in the very northern part of Israel. It’s about 3,500 feet up. And, to my right is Lebanon. To my left is Syria. Right now, Iran is — through its proxy war — supplying Syria with drones and other weaponry to strike targets in Israel. Israel is surrounded.
Rep. Alford: We’re here at kibbutz just two miles from the border with Lebanon. This place is a ghost town, basically. After October 7th, some 600 people were evacuated from here. In fact, all around here, these used to be beautiful Israeli settlements. They’re not allowed to live here now because rockets are raining down on this region. In fact, this area was hit back in December with a pretty big missile that tore up their auditorium. It’s a shame. These people are refugees inside of their own country, having to put up with the terrorism funded by Iran. Money that is making its way to Hezbollah in Lebanon, just two miles that way.
Asher Afriat: You can see something that happens here on many Friday afternoons, is that their friends or family come, and they sit around the tomb. They either talk, or they listen to music. Or, they just smoke a cigarette, okay? Just like they used to do with their buddies, okay? But this is, this is. You can see. It’s ready. [The graves] are ready for this ongoing sacrifice.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin [via recording]: Finally, finally, finally, you’re free. I will love you, and I will miss you every single day for the rest of my life. But, you’re right here. I know you’re right here. I just have to teach myself how to feel you in a different way. And, Hersh, there’s one last thing I need you to do for us. Now, I need you to help us stay strong, and I need you to help us survive.