Family of Kidnapped Eden Yerushalmi Condemns Political Use of Her Name Against Eden Ben Zaken

The official memorial page for Eden Yerushalmi, who was kidnapped and killed in Hamas captivity on October 7, has strongly criticized the use of her name and image in a social media post targeting singer Eden Ben Zaken. The post, which promoted a class-action lawsuit against Ben Zaken, displayed photos of both women with the caption, "We will not forget Eden Yerushalmi, we will not forgive Eden Ben Zaken." This post emerged amid controversy surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attendance at a Ben Zaken concert.

The memorial page condemned the exploitation of Yerushalmi's tragic death for political purposes, stating, "Since October 7, we have been living in hell. The day Eden was murdered, our world was shattered." They demanded the removal of the post, emphasizing that repeated requests to take it down have been ignored. The page described such posts as "a further wound that will never heal" and "a despicable exploitation of her death."

They stressed that Eden Yerushalmi is not a slogan or a political tool, but a unifying figure who "connected hearts and will always remain so." The family and page administrators called for respect and an end to the politicization of her memory.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions following Netanyahu's visit to Ben Zaken's performance and the broader political disputes it has sparked.