In a powerful display of solidarity, Texas Governor Greg Abbott joined the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston to commemorate the second anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel, calling the 2023 assault “the deadliest attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
“No one has responded with the grace of God as effectively time and time again as the people of Israel,” Abbott said during the somber ceremony. “We pray every day that every hostage is returned to their families who have waited far too long.”
From Words to Action
Abbott’s involvement with Israel’s crisis runs deeper than ceremonial appearances. Just days after the attacks in 2023, he made a whirlwind 20-hour trip to Israel, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting hospitals, and speaking with families of victims and hostages — a high-level diplomatic mission conducted “without fanfare but with great humility,” according to footage of the governor’s visit.
What separates Abbott’s approach from typical political posturing? The Texas governor has paired his rhetoric with concrete action, directing the Texas Department of Public Safety to increase protections around synagogues and other Jewish places of worship across the state in response to heightened security concerns following the attacks in Israel, his office confirmed.
Abbott has also taken steps to combat antisemitism in Texas, signing legislation that prohibits academic boycotts against Israel and issuing an executive order aimed at improving the safety of Jewish students on college campuses throughout the state, measures that community leaders have praised as substantive.
Statewide Remembrance
Beyond his personal participation in memorial events, Abbott called for all Texans to join in remembrance. “In observance of the one-year anniversary of the horrific October 7th terrorist attacks, I ask all Texans to join me in a moment of silence to remember the men, women, and children who were brutally murdered or injured during acts of war committed by Hamas and for the seven Americans still held hostage,” the governor declared last year when marking the first anniversary.
For this year’s observance, Abbott ordered flags across Texas to be flown at half-staff and again called for a statewide moment of silence. In a pre-recorded video message shared at Texas Jewish memorial events, he reaffirmed the state’s commitment to fighting antisemitism.
“On this solemn anniversary, know that we love our Jewish brothers and sisters and we will do all we can to eliminate antisemitism here in Texas and fight for the future of your homeland,” Abbott stated in the video message.
The governor’s ongoing support comes at a time when antisemitic incidents have surged nationwide, with Jewish communities facing increased threats and harassment on college campuses and in public spaces.
For Texas’ Jewish population — one of the largest in the United States — Abbott’s consistent stance represents more than symbolic gestures. His administration has positioned Texas as perhaps the most vocally pro-Israel state in the nation during one of the most challenging periods for global Jewish communities in decades.
