Previous Israeli hostages and family members of the deceased express rejection towards the October 7 commemoration.
Petition to Minister Miri Regev: No Relatives' Images, Names, or Details at Upcoming Event
The petitioners request Minister Miri Regev to avoid utilizing pictures of their loved ones, whether they're deceased or living, during the upcoming event. Additionally, they declined any mention of their names and details regarding their circumstances.
The petitioners also advocated for the cancellation of the formal memorial service. They suggested using the budgeted funds (estimated to be over a million euros by local media) for rescuing the hostages, instead of organizing the event.
On Tuesday, Minister of Transport Miri Regev declared that the memorial service would proceed, despite facing substantial public backlash. The event is scheduled to take place in Kibbuz Ofakim and will be pre-recorded. To ease tensions, Israeli President Isaac Herzog proposed an alternate venue, but Regev declined the proposal.
Various kibbutzim and towns in southern Israel, including Kfar Aza, Beeri, and Nirim, had previously declined to host the official ceremony, opting instead for intimate, personal memorials.
Family members of the victims also announced an alternative memorial ceremony in a Tel Aviv park. Numerous distinguished Israeli artists have already pledged their attendance at this event, rather than the official ceremony.
On October 7, 2023, approximately 1199 individuals lost their lives, and around 251 were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip, following Hamas fighters and affiliated militant Palestinian groups' assault on southern Israel. According to recent Israeli reports, 103 remain in Hamas' custody, although 33 have been declared dead by the military.
Subsequently, Israel launched extensive military operations in the Gaza Strip. Hamas, which cannot be independently confirmed, reported over 40,500 casualties since then.
Meanwhile, authorities in the northern Israeli city of Migdal Haemek announced the recovery of one of their residents, taken hostage in the Gaza Strip on October 7. The family of Shaked Dahan received his body on Tuesday evening, as announced on Instagram by the city. The Israeli military, however, has yet to verify the report.
The petitioners expressed their discontent with the previous proposal to include their relatives' images at the event. They strongly insisted that no prior events should feature their family members' details.
