Kosciuszko climb in support of hostages
20 Israeli and Australian Jewish amateur climbers, carried Israeli flags to the 2228-metre summit of Kosciuszko, together with a banner that read "Bring Them Home Now".
Australia’s highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko, saw a unique commemoration of the six months anniversary of the October 7 terror atrocities on Sunday.
A group of hikers from Melbourne joined Danielle Wolfson – the only Israeli woman to have scaled Mount Everest – as she climbed to the summit.
Dedicated to the victims of October 7th and the 133 hostages still held in Gaza, the ascent also saw Wolfson complete the Seven Summit Challenge – reaching the peak of the highest mountain on each continent.
The 20 Israeli and Australian Jewish amateur climbers, led by Zionism Victoria’s Hallely Kimchi, carried Israeli flags to the 2,228-meter summit of Kosciuszko, together with a banner that read “Bring Them Home Now”.
Executive Director of Zionism Victoria Zeddy Lawrence said, “The resilience of the hikers pales in comparison with the resilience of the people of Israel who suffered the most brutal attack in the country’s history six months ago today.
“As desperate as we all are to see the war end, we must never forget that the tragic deaths on both sides were precipitated by the Hamas assault, and as long as they hold Israeli hostages and threaten the security of Israel, the conflict will continue.”
To date, around 500 people have completed the 7 Summits Challenge, and only 70 are women.
Although Kosciuszko is the lowest on the list of the seven highest mountains in the world, the weather was not the best on Sunday, with rain and strong winds challenging the group.
She had been scheduled to climb Australia’s tallest peak in October last year, but of course that had to be postponed.
Wolfson’s next goal is to be the first Israeli woman to conquer the 14 highest peaks in the world.
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