The tension was palpable in Jerusalem on Sunday October 27. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was addressed by bereaved families as he began a speech paying tribute to the victims of the October 7 massacre during a memorial ceremony.
“My father was killed”notably launched one of them several times. He was wearing a t-shirt that read “the father was murdered, the son was abandoned”. The man, who could be identified by the Israeli daily Ha'Aretz, reportedly lost his father in a rocket attack. Others jeered at the Prime Minister with cries of “shame on you”. A man, whose son was killed on October 7, left the ceremony in protest.
According to Ha'Aretzthese disturbances provoked the anger of other families of victims present at the ceremony. Some demanded silence while others went so far as to insult the troublemakers, reports the Israeli media. For his part, Netanyahu remained impassive, as evidenced by the images broadcast by The Guardian, waiting for the demonstrators to be evacuated by security agents.
The Times of Israel reports that originally, this second day of commemoration “should not include speeches from relatives of victims of October 7, obviously for fear that this would give rise to criticism of the government.” But faced with the outcry caused by this decision, “it was finally planned to include a representative” per bereaved family.
According to Israeli government figures, around 900 soldiers and nearly a thousand civilians died over the past year. Despite this, “very few families attended state ceremonies” which took place this weekend, note Ha'Aretz.