With all the messages sent out, there is little more to say. The tragedy of the murder of this young couple is too much to bear. The irony that this couple dedicated their lives to building bridges of peace, shot at an event dedicated to addressing humanitarian crises in the Middle East signals the blatant ignorance and self righteous story telling happening around the world. It’s moments like this when we feel terribly alone.

I would like to share a bit of hope. Four days before Yaron and Sarah were killed, the Eurovision 2025 competition came to a close. Though Israel ultimately received second place, no other country received a higher global televote than Israel. To be clear – one can’t vote for Israel if they live in Israel. These votes have to come from the 36 other countries participating. Thirteen countries maxed out their televotes for Israel, more than any other country. Even Ireland whose leadership and activists had been some of the most vocal anti-Israeli voices gave Israel ten out of twelve possible points.

The Eurovision televote happens privately. No one knows who you vote for from the comfort of your couch. This signals that support for Israel remains high, though people are afraid to share those views publicly. The loudest voices, the scariest and most radical voices, keep us and those who see our struggle from speaking out. We are, however, deeply supported and not alone. May this horrible tragedy compel us, and those who seek peace, not to be afraid to stand up to hate. And may the peace in Israel that Yaron and Sarah worked toward become a lasting reality.