October 7 state ceremony to proceed in Ofakim despite widespread opposition

The official October 7 state memorial ceremony will be held in Ofakim, Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced on Tuesday.

Following a period of controversy concerning the ceremony, its organizers, its participants, and its content, Minister Regev stated the ceremony would continue as planned in southern Israel. During a meeting in her office, she emphasized that no changes to its format would be made.

The controversy surrounding the ceremony originated from a divide between some of the October 7 massacre hostages, victims’ families, and the government, with many voicing disagreements with Minister Regev’s decision to have the ceremony in Ofakim, according to Israeli media.

Attempting to find a solution, President Isaac Herzog offered the Presidential Residence as an alternative location for the ceremony. Minister Regev declined, saying, “State ceremonies are not held at the President’s Residence. A state ceremony cannot take place there. It should be held in the South,” in an interview with Channel 14.

Regev further sparked criticism from families of the victims and hostages when she referred to their disagreement with her state ceremony plans as “the background noise” during a press conference on Monday.

The families stated, “Minister Regev exemplified the complete disconnection in the government’s decision to produce a staged and detached ceremony costing millions, prerecorded and edited, for her own benefit. The government should announce that the budget allocated for the government event will be fully transferred to the people’s ceremony – the national memorial ceremony organized by the bereaved families and representatives of the communities that were abandoned on October 7,” The Jerusalem Post reported.

Rejecting government's October 7 state ceremony

Due to their disapproval of the planned ceremony, several victims and families have refused the use of their own or their relatives’ stories, names, and pictures. Additionally, the artists Ninet Tayeb, Banai Barnai, Ishay Ribo, and Hanan Ben Ari have refused to participate in the ceremony.

Kibbutz Nirim informed the state that they are not ready for the ceremony led by Minister Miri Regev to mark the anniversary of October 7, to be filmed at their kibbutz, N12 reported in early August.

Similarly, Kibbutzim Nir Oz and Yad Mordechai also refused to take part in the ceremony, with Kibbutz Nir Oz stating, “We will not cooperate with a political ceremony led by the government,” N12 reported mid-August.

The Kibbutzim Beeri, Kfar Aza, Kissufim, and the community Netiv HaAsara also expressed their disagreement with the state ceremony and refused to take part, according to Israeli media.

Despite opposition, Sderot and Ofakim have expressed their willingness to collaborate with the government over the commemoration ceremony, Israeli media reported.

Opposition leader and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid also announced he will not participate in Miri Regev’s October 7 commemoration ceremony, stating, “I will be with the families of the victims from Be’eri, Sderot, and Nir Oz. This government is neither legitimate nor worthy of their memory.”

Ori Sela contributed to this report.