Israelis Hold Celebration at Nova Massacre Memorial Despite Official Ban

Despite explicit prohibitions from the police and the Jewish National Fund (JNF), a group of Israelis, estimated to be in the dozens, held a Hakafot celebration as part of the Simchat Torah holiday at the memorial site for the Nova music festival massacre. Video footage from the site shows the celebration taking place just meters away from the "Sea of Flowers" memorial exhibit, a central part of the remembrance area. The person filming can be heard expressing disbelief, stating, "But we agreed this wouldn't happen here."

Organizers had previously announced their intention to proceed with the event, despite official refusals. In a message released on Thursday, they clarified that the Hakafot event was not canceled, asserting it was "with the support of bereaved families." This statement contradicted the directives from the police and JNF, which had designated the Nova site in the Re'im Forest as a place for memory and reflection only, prohibiting organized events not related to remembrance.

Last year, a similar event at the Nova site sparked outrage among many bereaved families. Consequently, the police and JNF issued clear instructions this year that such celebrations would not be permitted. Families who feared the event might still occur voiced their concerns to N12 last week. Omri Rahum, who lost his sister, brother-in-law, and uncle in the October 7th attack, expressed his anguish, stating, "On their blood they are dancing. On the monument, on the memorial exhibit, on this holy area they are dancing, celebrating, sleeping, and eating. This is not appropriate. It's like we wouldn't want them to do this at Auschwitz, at Yad Vashem, or any cemetery. For us, it is equivalent to any of those things, if not more."

The JNF, which manages the land, had stated days prior that the Nova site is exclusively for remembrance and reflection, and any visits during this period would be for that purpose alone. In coordination with the Israel Police and security and rescue forces, no permits would be issued for organized events or activities unrelated to remembrance and reflection.