Israeli Communities Protest State Commemoration of October 7 Atrocities While Hostages Remain Captive
As the government plans an October 7 ceremony without inviting kibbutzim, survivors continue to bury their dead and wait for hostages, asking, “Who is this ceremony for?”
Despite strong opposition from numerous kibbutzim and the Hostages Family Forum, the Israeli government is moving forward with a state ceremony to mark one year since the devastating Hamas attack on October 7. Meanwhile, the war continues, and many hostages, including children, remain captive in Gaza.
The ceremony, set for October 7, 2024, will be led by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, a vocal member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.
As the anniversary nears, kibbutzim residents are outraged by the ceremony and deeply disillusioned with the government.
I see the importance of this matter. I ignore the noise, and I will continue to lead this ceremony with sensitivity and respect.
“I am ready to face criticism, and I do face it from different directions, often from people who do not know the facts. Yet, I continue. I see the importance of this matter. I ignore the noise, and I will continue to lead this ceremony with sensitivity and respect,” Miri Regev stated during an August 22 press conference.
Kibbutz Nir Oz issued a statement noting that its members were not even invited to the ceremony.
“As we bury our loved ones who were murdered in Hamas captivity, it is no surprise that the Israeli government and its leader, who have yet to visit Nir Oz—the kibbutz that was completely forsaken—did not extend an invitation to our members and residents for the ceremony. After all, acknowledging our presence would serve as a stark reminder of the greatest failure in the history of the State of Israel,” the statement reads.
“We want to make it clear that even if we were invited, we would refuse to participate in a politically driven ceremony orchestrated by the government,” added the members of the kibbutz.
They suggested the government allocate funds to a civilian body representing all sectors of Israeli society to organize the day’s events free from political influence.
“Instead of organizing ceremonies, the government could, for the first time, visit a place where a quarter of the population was murdered or kidnapped and work toward a deal for the hostages,” the kibbutz said.
The Nir Oz community still has 29 members in captivity out of a total of 109 hostages. In a recent overnight operation in Khan Yunis, six bodies, including members of Nir Oz, were recovered.
Rita Lifshitz became a full-time resident of Nir Oz in 1988. Her father-in-law, Oded Lifshitz, was abducted by Hamas and spent his 84th birthday in Gaza on May 11. He remains in captivity.
Rita Lifshitz with her father-in-law, Oded Lifshitz, Kibbutz Nir Oz. (Courtesy)
“How can you hold a ceremony when we still have hostages in Gaza? How can you celebrate something that hasn’t ended? Every night at Kibbutz Nir Oz, we relive the nightmare of October 7,” Lifshitz told The Media Line.
How can you hold a ceremony when we still have hostages in Gaza? How can you celebrate something that hasn’t ended?
“Our prime minister hasn’t visited, hasn’t listened to us, hasn’t even sent a letter. We weren’t invited because Kibbutz Nir Oz is a total loss. Eighty percent of our homes need rebuilding. Our kitchen, supermarket, kindergarten—all burned down. There’s nothing left,” she said.
“How can we have a ceremony when we still have children—Kfir and Ariel Bibas—held captive? Now we have four funerals: one for Avraham Mundir yesterday, Yoram Metzger today, Alex Dancyg on Sunday, and Haim Peri on Monday. Maybe there will be another on October 7!” Lifshitz continued.
She shared a powerful and desperate message for the Israeli government.
“Miri, if your father were in Gaza, would you hold a ceremony? That’s what I want you to write in big letters. Bibi, would you make a ceremony if your father, your son, or your wife were still in Gaza?”
Rita Lifshitz holds a poster showing her father-in-law Oded Lifshitz, who has been taken captive by Hamas. (Courtesy)
Kibbutz Nirim’s leadership also informed the government that they oppose holding the ceremony at the kibbutz. On October 7, five Nirim residents were abducted, and at least five others were killed.
Arnon Avni, a Kibbutz Nirim member, told The Media Line that since October 7, no government official has visited to ask what members need or to offer empathy.
The government is not a production company. If they want to help, they should focus on bringing back those still captive in Gaza—then we’ll talk.
“The government is not a production company. If they want to help, they should focus on bringing back those still captive in Gaza—then we’ll talk. Instead, they’re fixated on this empty ceremony,” Avni said.
“They want to use this ceremony to push their narrative, claiming we’re all in this together, that we all suffered equally. But that’s not true. They abandoned us in this war, and now they want to act like we’re united. Meanwhile, while they stall for their own interests, our people are dying, and we’re burying them,” Avni said.
Netanyahu betrayed us. He wants to act like he’s suffered too, but we’re the ones who paid the price.
“Netanyahu betrayed us. He wants to act like he’s suffered too, but we’re the ones who paid the price,” he added.
As for October 7, Avni shared that the kibbutz is planning its own event.
“Anything but the government’s initiative. What they’re doing deeply offends us,” he said.
Following Kibbutz Nirim’s example, Kibbutz Be’eri’s leadership has refused to host the state ceremony marking the October 7 anniversary.
Michal Paikin, spokesperson for Be’eri, told The Media Line that the kibbutz demands the government prioritize saving lives—specifically, the lives of the hostages held in Gaza—over commemorating those it abandoned.
“We also reiterate our demand for a state inquiry commission to provide answers and draw conclusions that will allow us to begin the recovery process,” Paikin added.
Seventy-three-year-old Nili Bar Sinai survived the attack on Kibbutz Be’eri but tragically lost her 75-year-old husband, Yoram Bar Sinai.
Nili Bar Sinai mourns at her husband Yoram’s funeral, at Kibbutz Be’eri. (Courtesy)
“This ceremony is part of the new dictatorship. The government is ruining the country for their political survival. They don’t care about the people. They’ve done nothing for the kidnapped or hostages. They haven’t visited once. Netanyahu only came when we were evacuated, and no one was here,” Bar Sinai told The Media Line.
“Bibi doesn’t take responsibility for anything—he’s worse than Hamas in that regard. At least they acknowledge their actions, even if they do nothing to repair the damage,” Bar Sinai said.
“It feels like we’re watching the deterioration of Zionism. What was once a beautiful idea is now collapsing because of this foolish man who thinks he’s the center of the world. Until he’s gone, there will be no solution—for this war or for the country,” she added.
Bar Sinai shared that people in Be’eri are now moving their dead from temporary cemeteries to the central one in the kibbutz as part of their own ceremony.
The home of peace activist Vivian Silver, who was murdered in the attack on Kibbutz Be’eri on Oct. 7, 2023. (Micha Brikman)
“During the war, only 15 people were allowed in the cemetery, so they buried their dead elsewhere. We’re bringing them back for the October 7 ceremony so we can do it properly in the kibbutz. I’m moving my husband too. This will be our alternative ceremony,” she said.
