[Editor's note: MP Marty Morantz was part of a delegation of 60 Canadians who participated in a three-day trip to Israel recently]

I am writing to you today from Jerusalem where I travelled this week with my Conservative colleagues Melissa Lantsman and Michelle Rempel Garner along with others of different political stripes.

We are in Israel to bear witness in the aftermath of the horrific events of October 7th and to express our solidarity with the Israeli people.

Israel is a country in shock and in mourning.
 
It’s important to recognize that the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas represent the single worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust and Canada must continue to stand with our democratic  ally  Israel and the Jewish people against the terrorism of Hamas.

Hamas was designated as a terrorist organization by Canada in 2002.

On October 7th, the world changed forever. We saw savagery on a level rarely  if ever seen before.

 Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and brutally murdered some 1400 Israeli citizens including baby’s, children and the elderly and kidnapped over 200 more.  

The brutality of these attacks was something beyond comprehension.

Today we met with Israeli citizens at a Kibbutz near Tel Aviv  who told us their painful story’s of murder and kidnapping.

One man in his 40’s told us that while he hid with his daughters in the safe room of their home, one block over Hamas terrorists murdered both of his parents.

A mother told us about her daughter being abducted and held captive and the anguish of not knowing her fate as each day passes.

The story’s are heart wrenching to listen to.

We also visited some of the communities that were attacked that fateful day and witnessed first hand the devastation in those communities. The first town we visited was Sderot, a City of 36,000 people. In the aftermath of the terrorist attics only 3000 remain. The rest of the population has moved away to safer areas of the country uprooting their lives and their families. Let us free Gaza from Hamas
We met with Mayor Alon Davidi who told us he remains optimisic about the future and hopes most resident will return.

He said that the IDF is the “Best moral army in the world” going further than any army to protect civilian life.

We also visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza where  we witnessed first hand the utter devastation at Kibbutz Kfar Aza committed by Hamas terrorists. So many civilians brutally murdered there. I will never forget the images of the burned and shot up homes where people just living their normal lives and those lives stolen by murderous Terrorists.

Israel is now on the front line fighting against Islamic extremism. We should all be supporting them in successfully removing Hamas from power. If Israel loses this war  the western world will suffer the consequences of an Isis style extremist movement that wants nothing more than to bring an end to a western values rooted in democracy and human rights.


With some 240 hostages still held captive at the time of writing the anguish being felt in these communities is difficult to describe.

Like many of you I am horrified to see the videos of people tearing down posters of those held hostage.

What kind of person tears down a poster of a kidnapped baby?

I know most Canadians are shocked at such public displays of hate, violence and antisemitism that we continue to see at demonstrations across the country, including the targeting of Jewish businesses and the shooting at Jewish schools.

I, along with many others have called for the immediate release of all of the hostages.

The hostages must be released without delay and without conditions.

And so on November 17th, I announced the launch of “#ProjectBringThemHome, a social media campaign calling on all politicians and Canadians to  virtually “Adopt a Hostage” to show our support for the hostages and their families.

For my part, I am virtually adopting Raz Katz-Asher, an Israeli-German, who is 4 years old. I have updated my Facebook, “X” and Instagram platforms to include a photo of Raz Katz-Asher, and a link to the website kidnappedfromisrael.com where you can see a full list of those still being held by Hamas.  

At this time, it is critical that we be there for the families of the kidnapped and your participation in #ProjectBringThemHome can go long away to showing them that their loved ones have not been forgotten.

 One thing is sure, they can’t tear down a poster from your social media.

It is my hope that this campaign will raise the profile of the hostages so that the international community increases pressure on Hamas to release them.
For those who wish to participate all you need to do is go to https://www.kidnappedfromisrael.com (https://www.kidnappedfromisrael.com/) and post a picture of the hostage or hostages you would like to adopt on the masthead of your social media accounts along with the hashtag “#ProjectBringThemHome” as well as the link to that website.

For those who are still being held hostage by Hamas terrorists, we must do everything we can to bring them home safely.