Kibbutz Nir Oz to boycott 2nd Oct. 7 state memorial, after PM ignores its invitation to visit
Event for fallen troops said drawing record-low sign-up, after government avoids asking families bereaved in attack or subsequent war to speak, fearing they’d heckle Netanyahu
The members of Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community along the Gaza border devastated by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, will not participate in this coming Sunday’s second state memorial for those killed in the attack, as most bereaved relatives decline to sign up for the ceremony, Channel 12 news reported Tuesday.
The decision came amid news that the ceremony would not feature speeches from families bereaved on that day, and after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignored the community’s invitation that he visit the kibbutz, where he has not been since the attack for reasons widely regarded as political. Many Nir Oz members have been highly critical of the premier throughout the war.
The kibbutz, 117 of whose 400 members were either murdered or kidnapped during the onslaught, has not received any response on behalf of Netanyahu or his office to their invitation, according to Channel 12, after publicly extending it one week ago.
Kibbutz member Adina Moshe, 72, who was kidnapped during the attack and spent 49 days in Hamas captivity, had told the Nir Oz WhatsApp group she was prepared “to go house to house” with the premier “and tell the stories of the residents.”
Silvia Cunio, whose two sons Hamas is still holding captive, said she was ready to join Moshe in guiding the prime minister.
The second national day of mourning for the Hamas assault, in accordance with the Hebrew calendar, was approved earlier this month and will be marked by two state ceremonies — one for fallen soldiers and one for civilians — both of which are being organized by Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
Channel 12 reported early last week that the ceremonies will not include any speaker from a family bereaved on October 7 or the subsequent war, out of fear that they would express criticism of the government and the prime minister.
Both ceremonies will be held on Mount Herzl this coming Sunday, the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei — three days after the annual Simhat Torah holiday, which is when the Hamas attack took place last year.
According to the Tuesday report, the memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers and security officers, intended to draw some 1,500 participants, has drawn a very low number of sign-ups.
Just 200 families have registered so far, the report said, noting that typically, Mount Herzl has to turn people away from memorial events.
“We’ve never seen such low responsiveness to a memorial ceremony,” the outlet quoted a source among the ceremony organizers as saying.
The government body in charge of organizing state ceremonies responded to the report, asserting that registration will remain open until Friday, “and the ceremony will be full.”
Kibbutz Be’eri, another community devastated by the attack, also said recently that its members would not mark the second day of mourning, as they are “still moving their dead to be buried in Be’eri, and working tirelessly to bring back our hostages. We see no reason to mark this terrible day again.”
The families of hostages and other October 7 victims had already strongly objected to the firebrand Regev being chosen to oversee the first ceremony commemorating the attack’s anniversary earlier this month.
Several Gaza border communities accused the government of using the official event as a fig leaf to avoid responsibility for its role in failing to prevent the terror massacre, and for not doing enough for the communities in its aftermath.
Sam Sokol contributed to this report.
