Israel has called on the international community to intensify efforts to confront ideologies that fuel terrorism, hold perpetrators accountable and apply uniform standards in the fight against violence, warning that lasting peace cannot be achieved through diplomatic declarations alone.
The Israeli government said the pursuit of peace required a clear rejection of terrorism and the ideologies that sustain it, alongside a recognition of the suffering of innocent civilians caught in conflicts.
Chargé d’Affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Nigeria, Ms Racheli Stavissky, made the call in Abuja on Wednesday during the screening of 12 Hours in October, a film depicting the fear, devastation and human suffering experienced during the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The screening commemorated the victims of the attacks, which marked a turning point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and triggered the war in Gaza.
Stavissky said the international community must reject the idea that compassion for civilians and an unequivocal condemnation of terrorism were mutually exclusive, insisting that both principles could and should be upheld.
“A future of peace requires more than declarations and diplomatic resolutions; it requires confronting ideologies that call for violence, holding those responsible accountable, and insisting the same standards applied to everyone,” she said.
The diplomat argued that terrorism posed a threat beyond the immediate areas where attacks occurred, warning that organisations and regimes that promoted violence could destabilise countries and regions far beyond the Middle East.
“We must call, together, for a free Middle East, free of terror organisations and terror regimes, who aim to destabilise not only Israel, but Europe, America, and Africa as well,” she said.
The film screening provided an opportunity to revisit the October 7 attacks, when Hamas-led militants crossed from Gaza into southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting more than 250 others, including children and elderly persons, according to the figures cited by the Israeli Embassy.
The assault, which targeted communities and other locations in southern Israel, prompted a major Israeli military campaign in Gaza and ushered in a devastating phase of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ensuing war has generated a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with extensive destruction, mass displacement and widespread civilian suffering. It has also intensified international debate over the conduct of hostilities, the protection of civilians, the release of hostages and the prospects for a lasting political settlement.
Against this background, Stavissky said the film was intended to bring audiences closer to the human realities behind the statistics, presenting the experiences of families whose lives were shattered within hours.
She said the production, directed by Danny Abeckaser, sought to portray the fear, confusion, courage and heartbreak of people confronted with unimaginable violence.
According to her, the film tells the stories of families struggling to survive, loved ones desperately searching for one another and individuals whose lives were permanently altered by the attacks.
The envoy urged viewers to approach the screening with empathy, stressing that the victims should not be reduced to numbers in news reports or diplomatic discussions.
“I invite you to watch with an open heart and to remember that behind every story is a human being, behind every loss is a family, and behind every statistic is a life that mattered,” she said.
Stavissky reaffirmed Israel’s determination to rebuild and protect its people, expressing the hope that Israeli children would eventually be able to live without the fear of terrorism.
She also called for an end to antisemitism and hatred, urging survivors of the October 7 attacks to find healing and the courage to resist violence in all its forms.
The diplomat further appealed to the international community to demonstrate what she described as moral clarity by confronting those who threaten peace rather than placing the greatest burden on communities that have suffered terrorist attacks.
“May the international community find moral clarity to confront those who threaten peace, rather than placing the greatest burden on those whose people have suffered from their violence,” she said.
She expressed the hope that people across the world would one day live in security, dignity and peace, adding that remembrance remained essential to honouring the victims and bearing witness to their experiences.
“Until then, we remember. We bear witness and we will never forget,” she said.
The October 7 attacks and the subsequent Gaza war have remained at the centre of international diplomatic efforts, with governments and international organisations facing mounting pressure to address security concerns, protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian assistance and pursue a sustainable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Stavissky’s appeal at the Abuja screening underscored Israel’s position that confronting terrorism and holding those responsible accountable must remain central to international efforts to achieve lasting peace.
