October 7, 2025, marked two years since the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust—carried out by Hamas terrorists and their accomplices from the Gaza Strip. Around the world, the day was commemorated with solemn memorials and moments of remembrance.
Memorial Events
Several major commemorations took place across New York City honoring the victims of the October 7 massacre.
On October 5, 2025, a memorial ceremony was held at Holocaust Memorial Park, organized by New York State Assemblyman Michael Novakhov and attended by dozens of concerned citizens.
On October 7, an installation of 1,205 empty chairs was placed on Butler Lawn at Columbia University, each bearing the name of one of the victims. That same day, a “Circle of Unity” gathering drew about a thousand participants to Central Park, where attendees held signs with the names of the murdered and paid tribute to their memory.
In addition, New York State and City officials marked the second anniversary by lowering flags to half-staff and illuminating government buildings and monuments in solidarity with Israel.
The Information Bubble
Yet remembrance events tell only one side of the story. Many people live within an information bubble, engaging primarily with like-minded peers and media sources. Social media algorithms reinforce these silos, filtering out opposing perspectives and shaping users’ worldviews.
Meanwhile, the American socio-political landscape is shifting dramatically. A new generation is coming of age—one increasingly sympathetic to socialist movements and, alarmingly, to organizations designated as terrorist groups.
The Paradox of NYC’s Jewish Electorate
These changes are reflected even within the traditionally conservative Jewish electorate. According to a Zenith Research poll (July 2025), socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has the support of 43% of Jewish voters, and among those under 44, the figure rises to 67%.
A separate GQR Research poll, commissioned by the opposing New York Solidarity group during the same period, confirmed Mamdani’s lead with 37% support, followed by Adams (25%), Cuomo (21%), and Sliwa (14%).
Shifts Since September 11
Nearly a quarter century after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the once-unifying slogan “Never Forget” has faded. On that day, residents of Gaza were seen celebrating in the streets at the deaths of 2,977 Americans. At the time, few Americans sympathized with those calling the United States the “Great Satan” and Israel the “Little Satan.”
In the years that followed, Qatar began investing heavily in American universities, funding programs that—intentionally or not—have fostered leftist ideologies and, in some cases, anti-Israel sentiment among students. Two decades later, those investments are bearing fruit in today’s shifting cultural and political climate.
Demonstrations on October 7, 2025
Two years to the day after Hamas’s massacre of innocent Israeli civilians, a pro-Hamas demonstration was held in midtown Manhattan—ironically overshadowing the memorials in both size and visibility.
The rally began in front of the Fox News headquarters, a network known for its pro-Israel coverage—an intentional choice designed to provoke and “reclaim” the narrative. This strategy mirrors earlier symbolic acts meant to appropriate sacred or symbolic spaces for ideological purposes.
During the event, participants waved flags of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad—all designated terrorist organizations by the U.S. government. Protesters, many with masked faces and keffiyehs, chanted slogans such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” “Globalize intifada,” and “Long live the intifada.”
The paradox remains: waving terrorist flags is tolerated as “free speech,” yet the violence those flags represent is often excused or ignored.
A Stark Contrast
In stark contrast, a much smaller group of pro-Israel supporters gathered nearby. Their faces were uncovered. They held U.S. and Israeli flags, some combined, and signs reading “Stand with Israel.” One participant wore a T-shirt that read “United We Stand,” featuring a handshake between the two nations’ flags. They were surrounded by police for protection.
After the rally, pro-Hamas demonstrators marched down the main street in a “victory procession” under an enormous Gaza flag, shouting anti-Semitic slogans and calls for “liberation.”
Remembering October 7, 2023
The Hamas attack of October 7, 2023—carried out on Simchat Torah, one of the most joyous holidays in the Jewish calendar—claimed over 1,200 lives. Yet even as the world marks the anniversary, that memory is being defiled by those who glorify the perpetrators and distort the facts, falsely labeling October 7 as the “start of the Gaza war.”
In reality, Israel’s retaliatory actions against Hamas began only on October 13.
May the memory of all innocent lives lost on October 7, 2023, be a blessing.
By Oleg Yunakov