Hendon celebrates Ariel Bibas’ fifth birthday with a Batman-themed party
The Bibas family, including Ariel, his baby brother, Kfir, his mother, Shiri, and father, Yarden, have been held captive in Gaza for nearly 10 months
Hundreds of community members and allies gathered in Hendon yesterday to mark hostage Ariel Bibas’s fifth birthday.
Co-organised by the Hostages & Missing Families Forum UK and Stop the Hate UK (formerly known as Enough is Enough), participants celebrated Ariel’s birthday with a Batman-themed event, complete with balloons, cupcakes and face painting.
The Bibas family, including Ariel, his baby brother, Kfir, his mother, Shiri, and father, Yarden, have been held captive in Gaza for nearly 10 months. Since then, there has been little concrete information on their location or welfare.
Hamas has claimed that the children are no longer alive, but the IDF has not found any evidence to support this.
Dr Chaya Langerman, spokesperson for both organisations, told Jewish News: “Nine months have passed, and the world seems to be forgetting about Ariel. But how can we accept a reality where a child is denied the simple joy of celebrating his birthday in freedom?
“We must act now—no more waiting, no more silence. Ariel and his family deserve to come home. If Ariel could make a birthday wish, it would be for his freedom.
“This is the wish the world needs to hear and act upon now.”
Joining the event in Sunnyhill Park was Benzi Brofman, an internationally-renowned street artist and muralist who has worked tirelessly since 7 October to create enduring images of those kidnapped by Hamas. Brofman painted a mural of Ariel, which he hopes one day to present to the family.
Reverend Hayley Ace, co-founder of Christian Action against Antisemitism and spokesperson for Stop the Hate UK, told Jewish News: “We believe as Christians that it is not enough to say we are praying for Israel- we must stand alongside the Jewish community.
“It is unthinkable that the world is remaining almost entirely silent on the brutal kidnapping of an entire family. It is shocking how much denial there is among the British public.
“We will not allow Ariel and his family to be forgotten. We invite all compassionate individuals to join us in calling for their return and raising awareness of their plight.”
Among the hundreds of parents and young children joining Ariel’s birthday celebrations was 17-year-old Jude. His message was simple: “Free the hostages. This is not to do with politics- it is not a political message. There are innocent people being held captive in Gaza and we want them home.”
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