F𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝘇𝗮 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁

This week I had the privilege of attending an important and deeply moving event in Belfast, where 𝗗𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻 shared her powerful testimony.

Dr Haran, 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝘇𝗮 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀, visited Northern Ireland as the guest of 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 and Magen David Adom, Israel’s national medical emergency service. Earlier in the day she met with elected representatives at Stormont and in the evening addressed an audience of 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 in Belfast.

Her story is one of 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲. Dr Haran’s husband was murdered by Hamas terrorists on 7 October and she was abducted into Gaza along with her daughter and grandchildren. Hearing her speak about these experiences was 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 and a stark reminder of the 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺.

I want to thank Dr Haran for her 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 and to acknowledge the vital work of the organisations supporting her visit. Events like this help 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 and strengthen our commitment to stand against violence and in support of innocent lives.

SHALOM!!! MARANATHA!!! HALLELUJAH!!!