Celebrity chef Jose Andres paid tribute to the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza Thursday at Washington’s National Cathedral, alongside second gentleman Doug Emhoff and violinist Yo-Yo Ma.
From the grand cathedral’s stone pulpit, Andres continued to demand answers after a convoy clearly marked with World Central Kitchen signage was targeted by the Israel Defense Forces on April 1.
Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, American and Canadian Jacob Flickinger, Australian Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom, as well as Damian Soból of Poland and John Chapman, James Kirby and James Henderson, all of the U.K., died in the strike.
‘I know we all have many unanswered questions about what happened and why. There is no excuse for these killings none. The official explanation is not good enough,’ Andres said. ‘And we still obviously demand an investigation into the actions of the IDF against our team.’
The chef, restaurateur and World Central Kitchen founder broke down at times during his 19-minute eulogy, with Emhoff seated front row.
Celebrity chef Jose Andres continued to demand answers Thursday at the memorial service at Washington’s National Cathedral for the seven World Central Kitchen workers killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza
Chef Jose Andres is seated among the masses ahead of Thursday’s service for the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza on April 1. Most of the 560 in the audience worked for the hunger non-profit that Andres founded
Chef and World Central Kitchen Founder Jose Andres walks to his seat showing emotion ahead of Thursday’s memorial for the seven WCK workers killed in Gaza on April 1
The Biden administration was represented by second gentleman Doug Emjoff, who was seated in the front row next to Kurt Campbell, the deputy secretary of State
‘They risked everything to feed people that they did not know and will never meet,’ Andres said. ‘In the worst moments the best of humanity shows up. They were the best of humanity. Their examples should inspire us to do better – to be better.’
Overall, 560 invited guests filled the National Cathedral – a majority of whom do work for the non-profit, which travels to disaster zones and feeds people all over the world.
‘I know there are also many questions about why World Central Kitchen was in Gaza. We ask ourselves the same question day and night,’ the chef admitted. ‘We are all consumed with anger, regret and sorrow.’
He said the same questions were asked when the hunger charity moved into Ukraine shortly after Russia’s invasion.
World Central Kitchen lost workers in Ukraine too, Andres noted.
‘When I will tell Ukrainians they are cooking too close to the front lines, they say they will be there anyway, with or without World Central Kitchen, there were children and elderly to feed. These were their communites after all,’ Andres said.
‘Ukrainians were feeding the people of Ukraine, just like in Gaza, Palestinians feeding Palestinians, people feeding people, that’s what we do at World Central Kitchen. We stand next to communities as they feed themselves, nourish themselves, heal themselves,’ he continued.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff watches the procession into the National Cathedral at the top of Thursday’s memorial for the seven World Central Kitchen workers who died feeding people in Gaza
Celebrity chef Jose Andres walks to his seat at Thursday’s solemn service at Washington’s National Cathedral
American cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed after Chef Jose Andres’ eulogy Thursday at the National Cathedral
‘People don’t want our pity, they want our respect,’ Andres added. ‘Our only way to show respect is facing the mayhem alongside them.’
‘We show them that they are not alone in the darkness,’ he said.
Andres talked about how his own daughter wanted to go into Ukraine and he pressed that she didn’t.
She answered, Andres said, by saying, ‘How are young people supposed to change the world if we’re not willing to take risks?’
‘Food is a universal human right. Feeding each other, cooking and eating together, is what makes us human,’ Andres said.
He said of the seven workers that their words and actions should ‘build longer tables not higher walls.’
‘Because the fate of the many cannot be decided by the hateful and divisive actions of the few,’ Andres said.
‘Food can never be a weapon of war. Humanitarians can never be targets. Because they are the best of us,’ the chef said.
Andres told Reuters two days after the killings that he believed that Israel deliberately attacked the convoy ‘systematically, car by car.’
‘This was not just a bad luck situation where “oops” we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,’ he said.
‘The U.S. must do more to tell Prime Minister Netanyahu this war needs to end now,’ the D.C.-based celebrity chef also encouraged.
Biden phoned Andres in the direct aftermath of the attack – but decided to go ahead with a planned trip to Syracuse to visit a chip factory instead of joining mourners Thursday at the National Cathedral.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Wednesday ‘the administration will be well-represented at that event.’
‘Well the president will have a letter from him read at the service and you will see the second gentleman there,’ Sullivan said.
Biden’s letter was never read aloud as part of the official program.
‘The president, of couse, has had a longstanding plan to go up to Micron, the facility up in Syracuse. He will continue with that. But he has spoken directly with Chef Jose Andres about this tragic event and of course in the immediate aftermath of it picked up the phone and called Bibi Netanyahu,’ Sullivan also offered.
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