Alleging government mishandling, families of rave massacre victims demand answers
Relatives of those murdered on October 7 at Supernova and Psyduck parties form lobby, accuse government of neglecting their plight
Relatives of those murdered by Hamas terrorists at two raves on October 7 gathered in Tel Aviv Monday to announce the formation of a lobby to address their grievances with the Israeli government.
Representatives of some 200 families that lost loved ones at the Supernova and Psyduck parties on October 7 met at the David Intercontinental hotel in Tel Aviv, launching a joint effort to advocate for recognition of their unique plight amid alleged governmental negligence.
The group was dubbed the Party Flowers Forum, which in Hebrew evokes the fact that attendees of the two raves were cut down in their prime.
The Forum’s launch came hours after representatives of victims’ families met with a top government official who noted their specific needs.
Some 360 people were killed in massacres at the Supernova and Psyduck festivals near Kibbutz Reim on October 7 as Hamas terrorists launched a brutal assault on southern Israel. The onslaught saw some 1,200 people murdered — most of them civilians, some of them executed, burned and raped, among other atrocities — and 240 taken hostage.
Erez Zarfati, whose daughter Ron Zarfati was murdered at Supernova and who has since been instrumental in organizing the rave victims’ families, said the forum was demanding the immediate establishment of an independent committee of inquiry to investigate negligence leading up to the massacre, claiming security forces failed to consider all potential dangers when allowing the raves to take place a mere five kilometers from the Gaza Strip.
Zarfati said the families are also insisting on discovering the circumstances of their loved ones’ murder and proper assistance for the bereaved, particularly siblings and partners of the victims.
Eran Litman, father of slain Supernova rave attendee Orya Litman, said families of festival victims had not received the same help as others affected by the attack. “Families of fallen military [soldiers] receive assistance from the army, victims from kibbutzim have communal support, but we are lost,” Litman told Ynet.
“Several things are painful for us,” continued Litman, “first and foremost, the uncertainty about what happened to our loved ones.”
He added that the Supernova and Psyduck families received support from private organizations and individuals, but not from the government.
Speaking to Army Radio Tuesday morning, Zarfati said the families were forced to take action because the government had failed to approach them.
“We had no choice,” said Zarfati, alleging that families had been sent to the National Insurance social security agency for help, but nothing further.
Zarfati accused the government of keeping the families of party victims in the dark as to the circumstances of their loved ones’ final moments.
He painfully recounted how he and his wife drove out to the festival site to search for their daughter’s personal belongings, calling the scene “reminiscent of the Holocaust.”
Ahead of the launch event, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff Yossi Shelley met with representatives of the families to address their concerns and offer further assistance, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The families’ representatives issued a statement expressing hope that the cooperation would prove fruitful, noting the chief of staff’s “genuine desire to reach a solution.”
