“The scenes we saw on the seventh of October continue to resonate strongly,” said President Herzog, “we need to investigate and tell about them, and above all it is necessary to take care of the victims. We thank you for the expression of solidarity and the fact that you came to find out and learn.” The president’s wife, Michal Herzog, also added and acknowledged the message. “As a woman, I want to thank you very much for coming to Israel with an open heart and an open mind to listen, see, and help the survivors,” Herzog said.
Patten opened her words by saying that “after what happened on the seventh of October, I could not sit in my office in New York and watch from the sidelines.” Patten said that so far she has met twice with the families of the abductees in New York, and that she came to Israel to express solidarity. The delegation further added and emphasized an important message: “Sexual violence is one of the most heinous crimes with devastating consequences that reverberate across generations. Sexual violence used as a tactic of terror, as a tactic of war, is designed to destabilize, instill fear, humiliate, dehumanize not only of the victims, but also of the families, companies, the nation or the enemy.”