Prime Minister’s Office weighing establishing national day of mourning on date close to Simhat Torah – report

5 March 2024, 10:41 pm 1 Edit

A man stands in front of a makeshift memorial amid national flags and portraits of Israeli people taken captive or killed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attacks, during a visit to the site of the Supernova music festival, where some 360 people were slaughtered, January 14, 2024, after 100 days of war between Israel and the Hamas. (Menahem Kahana/AFP)

The Prime Minister’s Office has suggested a national day of mourning should be established on a day close to the Jewish holiday of Simhat Torah in honor of the roughly 1,200 people killed on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas massacre in southern Israel, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

As October 7 fell on Simhat Torah last year, a national day of mourning would be held not on the day of the holiday itself, but on a date close to it.

The events of the day would include two official state ceremonies, one for the victims of the terror onslaught and one for the IDF soldiers who fell fighting Hamas on October 7 and inside the Gaza Strip, the report adds.

In addition, the PMO’s office suggested that Israel would also mark the date on the Gregorian Calendar this coming year, with a state-led memorial event.

The report adds that no final decisions have been made and that the PMO’s office is still weighing the various options.