Member's statement: Hamas Terrorist Attack: 7 October 2023
Member's statement by Dr Steve Aiken OBE on .
- MLA
- Dr Steve Aiken OBE
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 7 October 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Hamas Terrorist Attack: 7 October 2023
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5164454
Read the official Assembly record
Text
On 7 October 2023, 1,189 Israelis and people of other nationalities were murdered by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists. A further 251 were taken hostage in Gaza. The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which could hardly be credibly described as being supportive of Israel in any way, reported that there was considerable evidence of murder; torture; sexual violence; the rape of men, women and children; mutilation; beheading; burning to death of children, of old and young and of men and women alike; and other horrors that are too graphic to relate to the Assembly. There is no justification under any terms for such attacks, none that even the most anti-Israeli or antisemitic of commentators could justify having read the UN report. Day in, day out, however, we still hear calls for support for the global intifada, and how often do we see and hear on our streets, "From the river to the sea"? Both mean death to all Jews everywhere. The fact that that barbarity can occur in the 21st century is not a surprise. Similar horrors, including actual genocides, are happening in Darfur, Myanmar, Sudan and Syria to the Yazidis and the Druze, as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Equally appalling acts of humanity have occurred and are occurring there. There is, however, never a cheep or even a tweet from the anti-Israeli brigade at any cost to them. Remember that if it is not about Jews, it does not count. There is a prayer that our Jewish friends say for the dead called the Kaddish. There are a few of us here, so, in accordance with Jewish tradition, I ask you to bow your heads and join me in prayer, commemorating the victims of 7 October and asking for a more tolerant nation:
"Magnified and sanctified is the great name of God throughout the world, which was created according to Divine will. May the rule of peace be established speedily in our time, unto us and unto the entire household of Israel. And let us say: Amen." "May there be abundant peace from heaven, with life’s goodness for us and for all thy people Israel. And let us say: Amen. May the One who brings peace to the universe bring peace to us and to all the people Israel. Amein, Shalom, v'al kol Yisra'eil v'al kol yosh-vei tevel. Amen, Peace upon all Israel, and upon all the inhabitants of the world."
Shalom, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker.
418 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.42 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- Criteria met: Identity framing (0.89).
- The text criticises or condemns the framing or division (0.67).
- Subject area: Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice).
- The overall probability was low and the text did not adopt any identity-based framing.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.89 | Yes |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.23 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.11 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.25 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.21 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.07 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.42 | Between thresholds |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.04 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it (chosen) | 0.67 |
| Adopts it | 0.28 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.99 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.01 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.