Coalition Leaders Absent from October 7th Memorial Events

On the third anniversary of the October 7th massacre, many senior coalition figures were notably absent from public memorial ceremonies held on the actual date of the attack. While President Isaac Herzog addressed a ceremony at the Nova music festival site, and other Knesset members like Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, and Avigdor Lieberman attended various remembrance events, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and most of his cabinet ministers did not participate in ceremonies held on October 7th itself. Netanyahu instead posted a video of himself lighting a memorial candle at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, stating, "I lit a memorial candle in the office in memory of all those murdered on October 7th by Hamas monsters. The nation unites on this day in longing for our loved ones. We will complete the mission, we have come and will settle accounts with all the murderers." He also shared a conversation with the mother of a hostage, and his Likud party released a statement criticizing the media and security officials during a Nova ceremony.

Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir began his day in Nitzanei Oz, warning of another massacre and displaying campaign posters. He later met with bereaved families. The article notes that the Finance Minister and Minister in the Ministry of Defense, Bezalel Smotrich, did not issue a statement regarding his whereabouts on the anniversary. Chairman of Shas, Aryeh Deri, attended a ceremony by the United Hatzalah organization, where he criticized calls for drafting the ultra-Orthodox community, stating, "Unfortunately, there are those who try for political reasons to exclude and delegitimize the entire ultra-Orthodox public that volunteers in droves, and on the other hand, they embrace Hamas supporters." He attended with Health Minister Uriel Boso. Former Welfare Minister Yaakov Margi posted a reflection on the day's significance.

Ministers Yitzhak Goldknopf and Meir Porush from Yahadut HaTorah did not attend memorial events, but the party's new chairman, Yaakov Asher, visited ZAKA and United Hatzalah centers, lit a candle, recited Psalms with volunteers, and met with released hostages and the family of the late Colonel Assaf Hamami. The article highlights the presence of Eisenkot at a ceremony in Re'im alongside bereaved mother Shira Shapira, and Lieberman attending a remembrance for Ronnie Eshel, where he was also with Eisenkot. The article questions the absence of coalition leaders from the actual October 7th commemorations, contrasting it with the participation of opposition figures and bereaved families who held ceremonies on the date of the massacre.