Israel campaigners to display lanterns on Hove Lawns

The Yellow Ribbon Campaign will create a giant yellow ribbon with lanterns on Hove Lawns on Monday at 7pm.

The lanterns will be held by 101 people to symbolise the number of hostages taken after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The event will mark the launch of a national campaign that aims at getting people to wear a yellow ribbon, tie a ribbon around a tree or write to their representatives about the hostages. 

There are 101 people still in hostage situations according to recent reports, including British citizen Emily Damari who was kidnapped from her flat on October 7 by Hamas.

In October, the Jewish community gathered in Palmeira Square, Hove, to read the names of the victims of the October 7 attack and hold a special service for the one-year anniversary.

A poster was displayed with all the names of those killed in the October 7 attack at the one-year anniversary event (Image: Eddie Mitchell) Eight more hostages are connected to the UK through British relatives.

Adam Ma’anit, a Brighton resident, whose cousin Tsachi Idan was kidnapped from his home during the attack, said: “The hostages have slipped into the darkness. Negotiations have come to a standstill and hope is fading.

“My cousin is a good man who watched his daughter murdered and has spent over a year in hell. This is a humanitarian issue, not a political one. They must be freed.”

The lantern display is designed to send a call to action for the hostages to be freed.

In July a similar event took place where a 50-metre-long ribbon was unveiled on Hove Lawns. 

The event is organised by the Yellow Ribbon Campaign in partnership with the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Sussex Jewish Representative Council and Brighton and Hove Jewish Community. 

Members of the public who attend will be invited to hold up yellow lanterns and form the shape of a ribbon.