WJC 90 | WJC Governing Board Chair Chella Safra Gala Dinner Remarks

WJC honored Itzik and Talik Gvili, the parents of slain hostage Ran Gvili, with the Resilience Award during a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, marking 90 years since WJC’s founding.

A 24-year-old police officer, Ran Gvili left home on October 7, 2023, to respond to invading Hamas terrorists, before he himself was killed and taken to Gaza. Through his bravery, he saved the residents of Kibbutz Alumim.

Ran Gvili was the last of the hostages to be returned, finally coming home for burial in Israel in January 2026.

Chella Safra, chair of the WJC Governing Board, said WJC’s 90th anniversary served as both a commemoration of the organization’s history and a reaffirmation of its future mission. “When Israel is singled out, time and again – it fuels distortion. It does not advance peace; it deepens division. And too often, it re-enforces antisemitism,” Safra said.