Hamas victims' families ask Canadians to oppose recognition of Palestinian state
The families of eight Canadians killed by Hamas terrorists are calling on Canadians to speak out against Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plans to recognize a Palestinian state, saying it “legitimizes (Hamas) barbarism” and threatens the lives of remaining hostages.
In a joint statement released late Saturday, the families released short profiles of the eight Canadians murdered in the October 7th, 2023, attacks, including a prominent peace activist, to drive their point home.
As expected by the families, Carney, who is headed for to New York for the UN General Assembly, made it official on Sunday morning.
“Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel,” he posted on X.
Today, Canada recognises the State of Palestine. pic.twitter.com/zhumVJRBfe
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) September 21, 2025
“By recognizing a Palestinian state today, Prime Minister Carney emboldens Hamas, legitimizes their barbarism, and sends a devastating message to terror victims everywhere: that their suffering can be brushed aside for political theatre. 48 hostages remain in captivity and we have seen from Hamas’ sadistic propaganda videos that those still alive are in a grave condition, this is who is being rewarded,” the statement continued.
Amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, Carney said in July his intention to recognize Palestinian statehood “was predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to much-needed reforms,” including a commitment by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, to hold general elections in 2026, the release of the hostages, and Hamas stepping down. Abbas does not control Gaza, and has not held elections since 2006. On Friday, The Canadian Press reported that Foreign Minister Anita Anand said there would not be an immediate normalization of diplomatic ties with the Palestinian Authority.
The families’ joint statement noted none of Carney’s conditions have been met.
“Instead of standing firmly against terror, our government has chosen to hand Hamas a victory. Recognition without peace, without security, without justice, is recognition of terror,” it said.
“Canada must not allow the memory of October 7th to fade, nor can we normalize Hamas’s violence by granting statehood to a divided Palestinian leadership that cannot, or will not, control its own extremists. An announcement which was celebrated by Hamas should concern all Canadians and shouldn’t be the direction of our country. We will not be silent as our government undermines the safety of Jews in Israel, Canada, and around the world.”
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages. The subsequent Gaza war has left tens of thousands of Gazans dead, including many civilians, and devastated the territory. Israel disputes the official death toll released by Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Here are the families’ mini-profiles of their loved ones, verbatim:
1. Adi Vital Kaploun
Adi was 33 years old when Hamas invaded Israel on October 7th. A dual citizen of Canada and Israel, she grew up in Israel, but had deep family connections to Ottawa. At her home in Kibbutz Holit, terrorists broke in. She was home with her two small children (4 years and 4 months old), who she tried to protect in a safe room. When terrorists entered the safe room she fought back, doing everything she could to keep her children safe.. She was shot in front of them, and the children were kidnapped briefly, then released. Described as an “amazing woman, amazing mother, and the kindest person”, her family said she brought warmth and laughter to all around her.
2. Ben Mizrachi
From Vancouver originally, Ben immigrated to Israel after high school. On October 7th, Ben was at the Nova music festival when Hamas attacked.
According to reports, in the chaos he used his medic training to help treat the injured, and tried to help others before he was tragically killed. Ben is remembered as joyful, kind, high-spirited, with a big smile, and a loving older brother and devoted son. People described him as a “kind, wonderful, and community-minded” young man who had a positive influence on everyone around him.
3. Shir Georgy
Shir was 22 years old, when attending the Nova music festival in the Negev desert where she fell victim to Hamas. She and others tried to hide, and a video shows her terrified, sitting among injured attendees in hiding. Later her family confirmed her death. She has been described as a young woman with many hopes, killed as part of the horror of the festival attack.
4. Netta Epstein
Netta was a Canadian-Israeli who had spent several summers as a camper and staff member at Herzl Camp in Canada. On October 7th, he was sheltering with his fiancée in a safe room at Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas gunmen broke in. He jumped onto a grenade to save her life, sacrificing his own. He has been described by loved ones as a beautiful man with a huge heart; caring and giving to all his surroundings.
5. Judih Weinstein Haggai
On the morning of October 7th Judih was out for a walk with her husband Gadi on Kibbutz Nir Oz, where they lived …. When rockets began flying over their heads, they lay down in a field. Hamas terrorists killed Judih and Gadi, and abducted their bodies to Gaza. Their remains were recovered from Gaza in June 2025 Judih was a talented writer, and would compose daily Haikus as an outlet to express her thoughts and observations of the world. She also developed a passion for meditation and mindfulness and used it to help children with special needs and attention difficulties in her community.
6. Alexandre Look
A 33 year old Montreal native, Alexandre was attending the Nova music festival when Hamas invaded. Alex came together with many others to one of the shelters scattered in the area to protect themselves from the shooting. Dozens of armed terrorists emerged from among the trees and charged at the helpless partygoers. In the moments of horror, Alex pulled out his phone and took a video in which he is heard calming the people down. As the terrorists advanced toward the shelter, Alex stood in the doorway and like a gatekeeper, protected everyone, who hid behind him as he bravely used his body and fought the terrorists with his bare hands to prevent them from entering. “I swear to you that he was our protector, otherwise we would have died,” said one of the survivors. He is remembered by his family and friends for his vibrant spirit and love for life.
7. Tiferet Lapidot
23 year old Tiferet was attending the Nova music festival near Re’im when Hamas terrorists attacked. Tiferet tried to hide in a nearby bush, where she called her mother, and said goodbye with the words: ” Mom , I love you.” For ten days, Tiferet’s fate was unknown, until it had been confirmed that Tiferet had been murdered on October 7th. She is remembered for her beautiful heart and joyful spirit.
8. Vivian Silver
A Canadian-born peace and women’s rights activist, Vivian was in her home on Kibbutz Be’eri, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on October 7th . She was hiding in her safe room, where she communicated with family and friends before she was murdered. For more than a month, she was declared missing, until November 14 , when her family confirmed that her remains had been identified via DNA. Vivian was known for her dedication to promoting peace and equality in Israel and Palestine. She helped create an organization called Women Wage Peace, which aims to bring together Palestinian and Israeli women to advocate for a mutually binding non-violent agreement to end the conflict.
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