A tense Knesset Education Committee hearing on Wednesday debated the fate of the memorial shelters, known as the “death shelters,” along Highway 232 in the western Negev. The issue came up as part of preparations for the proposed Law of the October 7 Massacre Memorial and Heroism, but lawmakers decided not to make a legislative ruling yet and will continue the discussion after a public consultation process.
Eshkol Regional Council chief Michal Uziyahu opposed leaving the shelters where they are, citing the safety danger along the road. “You cannot stop life,” she said, calling Highway 232 a long-time “road of blood” and arguing that it must be widened for residents’ safety. She said a central memorial site should be created to hold the collective memory of the events, but stressed that no decisions should be made without consulting bereaved families. Esther Buchstab, mother of the late Yagav Buchstab, supported her, saying it is hard to live inside a permanent memorial site.
Mazi Ailon from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, whose husband Tal was killed, also backed a balance between remembrance and daily life. She said she still sees the horrific scenes every time she drives the road, but added that the place where her husband fell no longer exists, because the wall holes were sealed and new plaster was applied. “We choose to remember his heroism and not focus on the specific place where he fell,” she said.
Many bereaved relatives strongly opposed moving the shelters. Galya Houshan, mother of Heder, who was murdered at Nova, said she visits the shelter more often than her daughter’s grave. Tamar Teshuva, whose brother Barak Davidi was murdered at the party, said, “To uproot the shelters is to uproot our soul.” Menashe Menzuri, who lost his daughters Noral and Ruya, said there may be no bones there, but “there is the blood of our children.” Bar Mirsky, who survived eight hours in a shelter in Be’eri beside bodies, said moving it would erase her memory, comparing it to Auschwitz. Hila Avir, whose brother Lotan was murdered in a shelter, also opposed relocation and said one family already paid to move a shelter into a private yard, warning that the memorial is national and cannot be decided by private owners or local councils.
Acting committee chair MK Yosef Taieb proposed removing the clause on moving the shelters from the bill and handling the matter through a separate agreement between the relevant parties. He said he should not be the one to decide, and that no major changes should be made on the ground until public consultation ends. The debate is expected to resume next Tuesday ahead of votes.
