Family of Eden Yerushalmi Condemns Political Use of Her Name and Image

The family of Eden Yerushalmi, who was kidnapped and killed by Hamas on October 7, expressed strong opposition to the political exploitation of her name and image. A recent social media post juxtaposed photos of Eden Yerushalmi and singer Eden Ben Zaken with the caption "Demanding Eden Ben Zaken," sparking the family's outrage. This post appeared amid controversy over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attendance at a concert by Eden Ben Zaken, where Netanyahu was warmly received.

The family stated on Eden Yerushalmi's memorial page that since October 7, their lives have been shattered, and they are deeply hurt by the use of Eden's story for political purposes. They emphasized that repeated requests to remove such posts have been ignored, calling the exploitation "a disgraceful misuse of her death" and reopening an unhealable wound. They stressed that Eden Yerushalmi was a unifying figure and should not be turned into a political slogan or tool.

Eden Yerushalmi, 24, from Tel Aviv, was kidnapped from the Nova party on October 7, where she worked as a bartender. Her body was returned to Israel along with five other hostages after being found in a tunnel 20 meters deep in Rafah. The forensic institute determined she was shot at close range. The controversy around Eden Ben Zaken intensified after Netanyahu and his wife attended her concert at Menora Mivtachim Arena, where the Prime Minister received applause, leading to online criticism and calls to boycott the singer and remove her from her role as a mentor on "The Voice."