Israel Mourns Its Fallen as National Pain Deepens Over October 7 and Gaza Hostages. But Even on This Somber Occasion, Politics Rears Its Ugly Head, as Sara Netanyahu is Savaged for Mouthing What Security Officials Unofficially Know
Across Israel, Yom HaZikaron is not an abstract day of remembrance—it is intimate, piercing, and deeply woven into the national identity. When the sirens wail, the country does not simply pause—it holds its breath. In every city and every kibbutz, from military cemeteries to apartment balconies, people stand motionless, remembering the fallen: soldiers, victims of terror, and most painfully this year—those murdered or kidnapped on October 7th.
The mood this year is darker, more unsettled. October’s massacre by Hamas shattered illusions of safety. Thousands of families are still processing fresh loss. Many have not buried their dead. Others are still waiting—hostages remain in Gaza, their fate unclear. The war continues, but this day isn’t about tactics or ceasefires. It is about the price paid, in blood and bone, for having a country at all.
And yet, even on this most sacred day, the rawness of public grief collided with a political firestorm.
During the official state ceremony, Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a solemn speech. At one point, he stated that “as many as 24” of the hostages are believed to still be alive. His wife, Sara Netanyahu, seated beside him, was caught on camera mouthing the word “פחות” (“less”).
One word. Silent, but thunderous.
The reaction was immediate. For the families of hostages seated in the audience and watching at home, the insinuation cut deep. While the prime minister was holding onto a hopeful upper estimate, Sara Netanyahu appeared to contradict him—casting doubt on that fragile hope. Whether she meant to correct, comment, or simply express private despair, the damage was done.
Critics pounced, accusing her of insensitivity, even cruelty. “This isn’t your place to speculate—not here, not now,” wrote one family member of a hostage in a widely shared post. Others recalled earlier incidents—her claim, for instance, that her background as a child psychologist gave her unique insight into the trauma of Holocaust survivors—remarked upon as self-aggrandizing and tone-deaf.
But others saw opportunism in the outrage. “What she mouthed was likely what many inside the security apparatus already believe,” said one analyst. “Should she have said it? No. But let’s not pretend it’s the root of our grief.”
Indeed, the larger tragedy remains untouched by gaffes. In cemeteries across the country, thousands gathered quietly by gravestones, some new since October, some decades old. Brothers in uniform laid flowers. Parents lit memorial candles. Children who never met their uncles or aunts drew their faces in crayon. The entire country mourned.
Yom HaZikaron is the day Israel remembers—not just with ceremony, but with pain. And while politics, mistakes, and whispered words may stir anger, the essence of the day holds firm: a people unified by loss, and unwilling to forget the cost of survival.
Immensely tragic but true.
The truth hurts so very much in this instance, but it is long time to know reality, not illusion.
Am Yisrael Chai!!!