Israeli Museum Experts Warn Against Politicizing October 7 Memorial Museum

Ahead of a Knesset discussion on the proposed National Memorial Day Law for the October 7 events, the Israeli Museums Association and ICOM Israel have issued a warning against the politicization of the planned October 7 Memorial Museum in the western Negev. In a letter to the Knesset Education and Culture Committee, submitted before the second and third readings of the bill, they criticized the current draft for granting excessive control to political authorities while not mandating the involvement of professional historians and curators in managing the memorial site.

The associations stressed that without a legal requirement to include academic and museum professionals in the museum's leadership, decision-making would be left solely to government representatives, risking political influence over national memory. They called for the establishment of a subcommittee with educational, scientific, and research expertise to oversee the museum, led by individuals with strong academic and professional backgrounds in museology, archiving, and preservation.

Another major concern raised is the bill’s exemption of the museum from the Museum Law, which sets professional standards for preservation and display. The associations warned that this exemption could jeopardize the physical survival of artifacts and digital testimonies from the disaster area due to lack of proper environmental controls, scientific cataloging, and conservation standards. They urged that even if some flexibility is needed, strict preservation and accessibility standards must be enshrined in law.

Additionally, the associations highlighted that the bill does not guarantee a separate budget for the museum’s establishment and operation. They fear the new memorial authority, under the Prime Minister’s Office, might fund the museum at the expense of existing museums’ already reduced budgets. They demand a dedicated, independent funding framework that does not reduce current cultural and heritage budgets.

Reut Perster, chair of the Museums Association and ICOM Israel, emphasized that maintaining professional standards is a moral obligation to the victims and survivors. The associations concluded with a strong message to lawmakers: national memory must be managed by professionals, not politicians, and passing a flawed law now would be a regret for generations to come.