Israeli Gaza border community slams Netanyahu for dropping ‘massacre’ from Oct 7 remembrance bill

Kibbutz Nir Oz, a Gaza border community, slammed the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office for removing the word “massacre” from a proposed Oct. 7 remembrance bill. The office reportedly prefers the terms “events” or “incidents.” Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis during the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion, including 65 residents of the kibbutz, and kidnapped 75 others.

"We condemn attempts by elements of the government to erase the massacre that took place on Oct 7 from the collective memory, and in doing so, note that they become part of those who deny it," Kibbutz Nir Oz said in an official statement. "Every person, every family, every home, and every path in Nir Oz bore witness to the massacre that occurred."

Nir Oz called on Netanyahu's government to "recognize the massacre, begin investigating it, act to rebuild the kibbutz, ensure the security of its residents, and guarantee housing for those who cannot return to Nir Oz.”

The Prime Minister’s Office representative Yoel Elbaz sparked controversy last week by proposing linguistic changes to the bill during a Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee meeting.

“We went through a lot of strategy and decided to call it ‘events’ and ‘incidents,’ because it wasn’t only a massacre; there was also a massacre, and the word appears later in the proposed text,” Elbaz argued during the meeting, referring to the events of 1929 or "1929 Palestine riots," as precedent, when Jews were massacred by Muslim Arab mobs in places like Hebron. 

"The 1929 events were called that [events], not the ‘1929 massacre,’" he said, "because remembrance builds resilience.”

While clearly condemning the Hamas atrocities against largely Israeli civilians, some members of the Israeli government have argued that the term “massacre” implies “victimhood,” something that goes against the Zionist idea of a strong Jewish state that is capable of defending itself. 

The acting committee chair, Knesset Member Yosef Taieb (Shas party), confirmed that the word “massacre” had indeed been erased from the bill’s title. However, he stressed that the final wording would be decided only after additional debates and a final committee vote on the issue.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) responded to the criticism. arguing that the word “massacre” is mentioned throughout the proposed bill and the purpose is to remember the Oct. 7 events “in their full severity and scope.”

“The PMO is committed to a comprehensive and truthful commemoration of all aspects of the events, without blurring of omission, and is working to advance the bill in that spirit,” the office stated.

Kibbutz Nir Oz and other communities have strongly criticized the Netanyahu government for not doing enough to prevent the massacre and for failing to provide sufficient assistance to the reconstruction following the war. 

In July 2025, Netanyahu visited Kibbutz Nir Oz for the first time since the massacre. 

“You feel, in the depths of your soul, the magnitude of the pain, the depth of the sorrow, the traumas that befell an entire community, and which are still befalling it,” Netanyahu said during his visit. 

“I feel a deep commitment – first of all, to ensure the return of all of our hostages, all of them. There are still 20 who are alive, and there are also those who are deceased, and we will bring them all back. But there is also a deep commitment to working here to rebuild this kibbutz and bring life back to the people. We will cut through the bureaucracy – and we will rebuild,” Netanyahu vowed at the time. 

Since his comment, all hostages - deceased and alive have been brought back to Israel.