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At 6:29 this morning on the Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv, everything stopped. Drivers stood beside their cars, and horns blared for a full minute to commemorate the third anniversary of the day, Simchat Torah 2023, when 1200 Israelis were murdered and 251 people abducted into Gaza after 6,000 Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel.
The country held its state memorial day on Monday with ceremonies at Mount Herzl. Wednesday commemorative events are led by the October Council, a group of bereaved families, which has organised tributes across the country, including at the Nova Festival massacre site tonight. An estimated 400 events are planned throughout Israel.
Anti-government protesters also held a moment of silence on Ayalon this morning, holding a poster proclaiming “May the nation remember its sons and daughters” whilst the iconic Dizengoff fountain was dyed bright blood red to mark three years that have passed.
Times of Israel has reported that the country’s opposition leaders are visiting sites of the massacre in the south, joining bereaved families and community members to remember the victims.
Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot paid tribute at a roadside shelter in Re’im with Shira Shapira, a member of his party, whose son, off-duty soldier Staff Sgt. Aner Shapira, was killed as he defended the shelter as it was attacked by terrorists, throwing seven grenades back outside as soon as they were thrown in.
B’Yachad leader Naftali Bennett, who stayed overnight at a kibbutz on the border, is today at the site of the Nova Festival massacre, whilst Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman is paying tribute at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, which suffered particularly horrific losses on 7 October.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is at the separation barrier near Nitzanei Oz in central Israel where has warned against a similar attack from the West Bank.
Several families will hold their own national memorial ceremony at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, hosted by former hostage Eli Sharabi and actress Shani Cohen.
The official Twitter/X social media account for Israel posted: “Three years since October 7, 2023. We remember the lives stolen by Palestinian Hamas. We honor the heroes. We carry the scars. And still, we stand. We rebuild. We live. We choose hope. Am Yisrael Chai. #UNFORGO7TEN”
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