Israel Marks Three Years Since October 7 as Herzog Warns of Polarization
Israel marked three years since the October 7 massacre with state memorial ceremonies at Mount Herzl, as President Isaac Herzog warned against severe political polarization during the ongoing election campaign.
Jerusalem marked three years since the October 7 massacre and the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war with state memorial ceremonies held at the Mount Herzl National Hall of Remembrance. President Isaac Herzog delivered a keynote address, warning against dangerous societal polarization amid the ongoing Knesset election campaign.
Remembering the Fallen of Nahal Oz
In his address, President Herzog recalled the dedication of the female military observers at the Nahal Oz IDF outpost, who remained vigilant 24/7. He noted that months before the disaster, they wrote in pink paint on a bomb shelter wall: "Look at how she walks serenely, as if Gaza is not next to her." At 06:29 on October 7, they identified approaching terrorists and broadcast the code "Turkish Horseman" before 53 soldiers and officers fell in heroic defense of the outpost.
"Amid an election campaign, we must observe and watch the glowing warning lights, those that signal dangerous division and disputes. We are allowed to disagree and even obligated to debate, but we must remember — whoever disagrees with you today will live with you here tomorrow," Herzog stated.
IDF Chief of Staff on October 7 Failures
Earlier in the day, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir published the daily order marking three years since the massacre, stating that the military failed in its supreme mission to protect Israeli citizens. Zamir emphasized that the IDF is committed to drawing lessons and ensuring they are implemented to maintain public trust.
During a senior command forum at Glilot base, Zamir presented the findings of the October 7 investigations and awarded a certificate of appreciation to Warrant Officer V. from Unit 8200, who authored the "Jericho Wall" presentation warning of Hamas's invasion plans prior to the attacks.
