An Israeli who was held captive by Hamas for four months in Gaza spoke of his ordeal at a Holocaust event in Germany this weekend organized by an evangelical organization led by a descendant of Nazis.
“For me this is part of the cure, which does me well,” Argentinian-born Luis Har, 72, told JNS from Germany. “Both the Holocaust and what we went through have elements in common.”
Har was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, and was held in Gaza for 129 days before being rescued with another hostage, Fernando Marman, in a daring IDF mission on Feb. 12, 2024. The Israeli military on Friday released previously unseen bodycam footage from the raid, marking two years since their rescue.
The grandfather of 10 said that speaking out in the world about what happened on Oct. 7 is his “personal mission” that he has taken upon himself after the Israeli soldiers risked their lives to save him.
“There is a lot of ignorance; but people who hear my story firsthand tell me that it changes their viewpoint,” he said.
The annual March of Life conference, which is held in Tübingen, Germany, brought together Christian leaders, government officials, Holocaust survivors and supporters of Israel from around the world in a united stand against antisemitism and in solidarity with the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
“The words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent’, are a call to action for us,” said Jobst Bittner, founder and president of the March of Life. “We stand side by side with Jewish communities and Israel, actively breaking the silence on antisemitism and hatred of Jews—loudly, audibly and visibly.”
Bittner’s father was an officer in the Wehrmacht’s Afrika Corps during the Second World War, and has been honored by Israel for his staunch support for the Jewish state and his personal life mission to confront the legacy of the Holocaust.
Over the last two decades, the organization has held events in hundreds of cities across more than 20 countries, creating a global grassroots network dedicated to remembrance and reconciliation between descendants of victims and perpetrators, and public advocacy for Israel.
Bittner, who serves as the pastor of the TOS Church in Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg state, launched the March of Life movement in 2007 in the southwestern German university town which served as the training ground for the Einsatzgruppen, the SS death squads that murdered 700,000 Jews during the Holocaust.
“After two challenging and painful years since Oct. 7, we are reminded why ‘Never Again’ is more relevant than ever,” said Israeli lawmaker Shelly Tal Merom, a member of the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus, who led a special parliamentary committee dedicated to securing the release of Israeli hostages. “We must stand together against antisemitism and hatred, guided by our shared values and unwavering solidarity.”
“In this moment, when antisemitism and hatred toward Israel are resurging across the world, it is vital that people of conscience stand clearly, courageously, and publicly with the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” said Josh Reinstein, President of the Israel Allies Foundation. “This event represents a powerful moral response, one that unites remembrance, responsibility, and action.”
