Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered Tuesday evening in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park for the main public memorial marking two years since the October 7 massacre.
The ceremony, broadcast live on national television and streamed at a simultaneous screening in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, was hosted by actor Tzahi Halevi and Ashira Greenberg, the widow of Lt. Col. Tomer Greenberg, commander of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, who was killed in Gaza in December 2023.
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The main public memorial marking two years since the October 7 massacre in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
The national state memorial will be held later this month on the Hebrew anniversary of the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had not commented publicly on October 7 since the end of the Sukkot holiday, issued a statement only after reports noted his silence. “Citizens of Israel, we are in decisive days,” he wrote.
“We will continue striving to achieve all the goals of the war: returning all the hostages, dismantling Hamas’ rule and ensuring Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel. Together we will stand—and together, with God’s help, we will win.”
The ceremony opened with a moment of silence, followed by the traditional Kaddish and Yizkor prayers. A video showed former hostage Agam Berger playing the violin, followed by singer Yuval Raphael—who survived the Nova music festival massacre and later represented Israel at Eurovision—performing on stage. Tzvi Zussman, father of Sergeant First Class (res.) Ben Zussman who fell in Gaza, read Yizkor, and Rabbi Elhanan Danino, whose son Ori was kidnapped and murdered in Hamas captivity, recited Kaddish.
Among the speakers was Mazi Eilon, widow of Tal Eilon, commander of Kibbutz Kfar Aza’s alert squad killed on October 7. “Our love began in the kibbutz, between the dining hall and the children’s houses,” she said. “We built a home there, raised three children, filled it with family, friends, light and laughter—so much laughter. You were the heartbeat of our lives, a father from storybooks, a man whose embrace left no doubt.”
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A crowd watching a screening of the ceremony from Hostage Square
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
Organizers said the memorial aims to preserve the authentic voices of the bereaved families and represent all parts of Israeli society. Dozens of international news crews covered the parallel screening in Hostage Square.
The event featured performances by many of Israel’s leading artists, including Rita, Shlomo Artzi, Berry Sakharof, Eden Hasson, Rami Kleinstein, Shiri Maimon, Esther Rada, Hatikva 6, Hadag Nahash and Noam Kleinstein.
Earlier, families of October 7 victims called on the public to join them in a collective moment of silence “in memory of loved ones and in the hope of bringing the hostages home soon.” Organizers said the call was directed “to every person in Israel and around the world—to take part, share the message and stand united with the people of Israel.”