Israelis gathered across the country Monday night to watch the civilian October 7 memorial ceremony, which organizers say was broadcast at over 300 community viewings around the country.
The ceremony, organized by bereaved families and civilian organizers and funded through crowdfunding which raised NIS three million, featured prominent Israeli artists.
The ceremony was intended to be open to public attendance, and organizers say that 40,000 tickets were sold in the first few hours after ticket sales opened, but the security situation in the country forced organizers to drastically cut the number of attendees, prompting community screenings.
Organizers also wanted to hold the ceremony in Israel’s south, the site of the horrific Hamas attacks last year, but ultimately moved the ceremony to the center following huge demand to attend, they said.
The ceremony, created by the public and planned to be open to the public, is a strong symbolic counter to the state ceremony which will take place directly following it. Many Israeli citizens feel that the state was absent on October 7 and in its aftermath, leaving civilians to deal with the horrors on their own.
The year since October 7 has seen incredible efforts of civilian organization, including civilian logistics and supply centers, civilian housing and transportation for evacuees and soldiers, the Hostage Family Forum, and many more incredible civilian projects that many feel replaced the Israeli government when it failed to care for citizens.
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