October 7 anniversary: memory, division, and a nation's fractures

A memorial ceremony, a hero's testimony, and a survey on foreign passports reveal a society grappling with trauma and uncertainty.

October 7 anniversary: memory, division, and a nation's fractures — This evening, at the memorial site in Re'im, Elkana Bohbot—held captive for 738 days—recited the Yizkor prayer at the Nova Tribe's ceremony marking three years since the October 7 massacre.[^1] The moment captured a tension that ran through many of Wednesday's events: the raw, personal grief of survivors and bereaved families against a backdrop of public rituals that some feel have become hollow. Rami Davidian, who rescued a young woman from nearly ten Gazans at the Nova party, told 103FM: "As far as I'm concerned, yesterday was October 7. We haven't learned anything, we haven't internalized, we haven't fixed."[^2] His frustration was echoed by singer Osher Cohen, who asked: "Why only on days of mourning do we not forget what happened? What, are we hypocrites? After all, what hurts, hurts always, doesn't it?"[^3] The sense that national unity is reserved for memorials—and absent the rest of the year—pervaded the day's coverage. A poll published by Maariv offered a parallel snapshot of societal unease: a quarter of respondents said they sought a foreign passport as "insurance against catastrophe," while 18.9% cited the security situation and 15.9% concern for their children's future.[^4] Among those aged 50 and over, 35.6% chose "insurance against catastrophe" as the main reason—a figure that suggests deep anxiety about the country's trajectory, not merely practical planning. Meanwhile, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu declared the bomb shelters in the Gaza envelope to be of national historical value.[^5] The designation—three years after the attacks—struck some as a bureaucratic gesture at a time when the human cost remains raw. Ofri Bibas, sister of former hostage Yarden Bibas, visited a protest encampment for missing girl Haymanot Kasau, saying: "We are fighting for something that should be obvious."[^6] The line could serve as an epitaph for a society that, in Davidian's words, has still not fixed what broke. Zamir drills surprise-war readiness; IDF eliminates terrorists exiting hospital in northern Gaza — IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir marked three years since October 7 by visiting the f