The Hostage and Missing Families Forum will not participate in the government’s Transportation Minister Miri Regev-led October 7 memorial ceremony event to mark one year since the terror attack, the Forum announced Wednesday.
“The resounding failure of the current Israeli government to bring back the hostages prevents it from trying to achieve closure while the situation remains unchanged since October 7. The consequences of that day are still felt daily by the families of the evacuees, whose communities were destroyed and homes demolished,” the forum said in a statement, explaining why they will not attend the event.
The forum stated that it would instead join the communities in the Gaza border area in commemorating October 7 outside of the government’s event.
Earlier, Kibbutzim Kfar Aza, Nahal Oz, Yad Mordechai, and Nir Yitzhak joined Kibbutzim Nirim, Nir Oz, and Re’im in boycotting the event as well, KAN News reported.
A ceremony organized by families of October 7 victims
Families of October 7 victims, in collaboration with the Kumu movement, have decided to organize the main memorial event on October 7, 2024, independently through crowdfunding and will not participate in the government’s Regev-led event, the Kumu movement announced on Monday.
“We will ensure that October 7 is commemorated honestly and humanely, without disguises or distortions. Together, we will remember the loss, the heroism, and the failures,” families of October 7 victims said in a statement following the announcement that Regev will be leading the October 7 memorial ceremony.
According to the organizers, the content of the main ceremony will be shaped by representatives of families directly impacted by October 7, and will include public participation.
The event organizers invited all interested family members to participate in shaping the ceremony and to contact them via email through Yonatan Shamriz.
