This weekend is bittersweet for me. Today, Saturday, is my birthday, which brings with it precious opportunities to spend quality time with family and good friends. Birthday celebrations may change over the years, but the joy of my family is a gift.

Monday, however, is the one-year anniversary of the horrific Hamas terror attack on Israel. The thought of that day still sends a shiver down my spine and a knot in the pit of my stomach.

As the events of October 7 were unfolding, we did not have a clear picture of the horrible, unspeakable acts that were happening from the farmlands of the kibbutzim to the Nova musical festival campgrounds. In the days and weeks that followed, we learned the scale and evil of what was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

As we commemorate this tragic anniversary during the Jewish High Holy Days – a time of reflection and renewal – we are reminded of the fragility of life and the enduring importance of peace. We honor the memory of the nearly 1,200 innocents – Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs, and those from dozens of other countries, including Americans – who were killed that day, and the thousands more wounded in this devastating act of terror.

In addition, Hamas took hostages – young and old – scores of whom remain in captivity a full year later. 

For the families of hostages still held in Gaza, including eight American citizens, marking birthdays and holidays without their loved ones over the last year has been painful. I know. Working closely with the Biden-Harris administration, I have sought to support these families and have talked with many of them at the Capitol in Washington and in Israel. Their anguish has been profound, but their strength and determination have inspired us all.

Here in Maryland, our communities have shared in their sorrow and hold fast to the hope that all the hostages will come home safely to their loved ones.

Over the last year, lives have been torn apart and a sense of security has been breached. Since the October 7 attack by Hamas, too many lives have been lost, families displaced and neighborhoods upended.

As President Joe Biden has said at the United Nations recently, the region is at an inflection point. “Progress toward peace will put us in a stronger position to deal with the ongoing threat posed by Iran.  Together, we must deny oxygen to terrorists — to its terrorist proxies, which have called for more October 7ths.” Isolating Iran and its proxies and denying Hamas a foothold in Gaza gives a path forward for a negotiated two state outcome – one that ensures Israel remains a secure, Jewish, and democratic state, living side by side with a Palestinian state with equal measures of peace, security, dignity and prosperity. 

I recognize, that might seem impossible today, but we must not give up hope. We must not give up on the concept of Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world. We must not give up our values.

On this first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, let us recommit to finding closure for the victims and their families. Let us continue work to bring about a ceasefire and return all the hostages home. Let us, at long last, make our pledge of “never again” to let such atrocities happen ring true. And let us keep working towards a world that is safe and peaceful for all peoples.

Thank you for your time. Please feel free to reply to this email with your thoughts on this topic or any other. I value the feedback we receive.

In solidarity,

Ben Cardin