Israelis will watch this year’s national celebration of Independence Day without viewing the annual fireworks display due to the October 7 war launched against Israel by Hamas terrorists, Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced.
Of the 253 people kidnapped by the Hamas-led terrorists on October 7th, 134 still remain captive in Gaza; of those, 32 have been confirmed dead by Israeli intelligence.
At least 1,200 people — including some IDF soldiers but mostly civilians — were tortured and slaughtered during the October 7 invasion of Israel by some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists. Thousands more were wounded, and much of the rest of the country’s population was deeply traumatized by the attack.
Regev is responsible for the official celebrations of Israel’s 76th Independence Day.
In her remarks on Wednesday, Regev called on local and regional authorities to eliminate the fireworks in their local celebrations in deference to the gravity of the existential threat still facing the nation.
“In light of the events of Oct. 7 and the war, we are adjusting the format of the ceremony,” Regev said.
Earlier in the day, the family members of some of the hostages who are still being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza called on the government to tone down the celebrations out of respect for those who remain anything but independent.
The national holiday, which is set according to the Hebrew calendar, this year begins at sundown on May 13 and runs through the evening of May 14. Among the traditional celebrations is the annual torch-lighting ceremony that marks the end of Yom HaZikaron — Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror — held at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
“There will be no torch-lighting ceremony without the hostages,” vowed Einav Tsengauker, mother of 24-year-old Matan, who is still a captive in Gaza.
“I will do everything in my power to prevent it from taking place,” Tsengauker told Ynet. “Let them deal with returning the hostages and not with torches.”
A family member of 26-year-old hostage twins Gali and Ziv Berman of Kfar Aza told the news outlet that she cannot even think about upcoming Purim celebrations.
“We understand that people want to hold a ceremony to maintain resilience, but they should be reminded [of the hostages] at all times,” said the twins’ aunt, Makabit Mayer.
The families of the hostages have asked that some of the 12 torches to be lit at the opening ceremony for Independence Day be placed in areas that were hardest hit during the Oct. 7 massacre. The suggested sites include Kfar Aza and the site of the Supernova music festival where hundreds of young adults were tortured, slaughtered and kidnapped by the terrorists.
