‘Israelis stop and thank us for campaigning for the hostages’

It is a freezing Wednesday lunchtime in January, and I am standing opposite Downing Street. In my hand is a plastic bag filled with posters featuring the images and names of every hostage held captive in Gaza.

I am not on my own for long. Soon, I am joined by a steady stream of volunteers, who have made the choice to give up their time to stand silently at Westminster for two hours.

The group is diverse. Some are Jews, some are not. There are English people, while others are from Israel and Europe.

Some come just the once, others attend so regularly that I know their names and faces well. We have become a family of sorts. In my case this is literally true. My parents and my grandparents have come to show their support. We are all completely committed to this cause.

I have been attending the vigils on a weekly basis for several months now since I began working as the Board’s campaign officer. After graduating from university, I was set on a career in teaching, but October 7 changed everything for me. I decided I needed to concentrate on advocacy. Like my fellow vigil attendees, I am passionate about giving whatever support I can to these people.

The Board of Deputies’ hostage vigils at Westminster have been running for well over a year and in that time, we have hosted MPs and peers – some who have come to say a brief “hello” and others who have held placards and stood with us for longer.

Our impact is cumulative. Israelis often spot us, including the daughter of a hostage who was startled to see us. They are all grateful that we are providing a constant reminder to our politicians and the wider community.

This week we are approached by two Israelis, both young girls who are clearly shocked to see us as they walk by. They say that we have warmed their hearts and ask us whether we get much hate. I reply that we don’t. However, we do receive plenty of interest, quite a few questions and a fair amount of confusion.

Everyone has their own reasons for supporting this vigil. For one Christian woman, this is about fighting antisemitism. She tells me: “I will always fight this hatred, as also on a personal level, my family history is to stand against Jew hatred. My father stood against Mosley on Brick Lane. The response of the public has been amazing. We must keep this movement alive.”

For another attendee it feels personal. She says: “As a mother of three young adult children, I realise that it could be one of my sons or my daughter, or indeed my husband being held by terrorists. Two of the hostages look so similar to my sons and my heart aches as I hold up their pictures and think of them and their families”

The recent agreement and hostage deal has given us all hope and of course the joy of seeing small groups of hostages released after such an extended period of time has been intense for all of us. Each week, I check my collection of posters – as hostages are released the bag become lighter.

So why are we still holding the vigils now that an agreement has been signed, and the hostages are emerging? The simple answer is that people are still being held against their will in what we know are awful conditions. While there are still hostages held in Gaza, we will gather at Westminster to support them. If you feel as strongly about this as we do, come and stand with us. Everyone is welcome.

Ariella Knoble-Gershon is Campaigns Officer of the Board of Deputies. If you would like to join a Wednesday vigil, you can sign up at: bod.org.uk/sign-up-form-for-vigil-volunteers/