Minutes before the dissolution of the 25th Knesset, the Israeli Parliament passed the law commemorating the events of October 7, establishing an official framework for commemorating them by establishing a “memory authority” and establishing a national memorial site and museum in the Gaza envelope area, after months of disagreements regarding the name of the law, the date of the anniversary, and the composition of the body that will administer it.

According to a report by journalists Amir Ettinger and Ronnie Green Shaul in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the Knesset General Assembly at 04:40 AM today, between Thursday night and Friday morning, approved the law on the second and third readings, moments before the Knesset was dissolved.

The law specifies the framework for national commemoration, and stipulates the establishment of a body responsible for establishing and implementing projects to commemorate the events of October 7.

According to the proposed law, the 24th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei of each year will be designated as an official day of remembrance, during which flags will be flown at half-mast in state institutions, Israeli army camps, police facilities, and the prison service, in addition to organizing official ceremonies.

The law also stipulates that “radio and television programs reflect the unique character of Memorial Day.”

The law also requires the establishment of a new institution called the “Memory Authority,” which will be responsible for implementing its objectives and receive an annual budget allocated for its work.

The Foundation will be managed by a body composed of 13 male and female members, after discussions during the preparation of the law focused on the need to ensure a diverse composition and broad representation of concerned parties.

However, the majority of the members of the body will be government representatives or persons chosen by government agencies, while the Prime Minister will officially appoint them.

The law also stipulates the establishment of a national site of remembrance and commemoration in the Gaza envelope area, along with a museum dedicated to research, documentation and education, and open to the public free of charge.

Although the law did not specify the exact location of the project, estimates indicate the possibility of transforming the “Nova” festival site in Ra’im into the central site for commemoration.

The new institution includes 6 representatives from government ministries and public bodies, who are representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministries of Defense, Education and Heritage, and the “Takoma” Directorate, in addition to a representative from the Department for Dealing with Victims of Hostilities or the Rehabilitation Department at the National Insurance Institute.

It also includes 4 representatives of the families of victims, survivors, and detainees, chosen by the head of the Detainees Directorate, the Ministry of Defense, and the National Insurance Institute.

Three representatives of local authorities and population centers are also participating, including a representative of the regional councils in the Gaza envelope, which are Eshkol, Sha’ar Hanegev, Sdot Hanegev, and Hof Ashkelon, and a representative of the municipalities of Sderot and Ofakim, in addition to a representative of the settlement movements, which are the kibbutz movement, the moshavim movement, and the religious kibbutz movement.

The adoption of the law was preceded by widespread disagreements, as the Prime Minister’s Office initially refused to include the term “massacre” in the name of the law, preferring to focus on the concept of heroism.

After a media storm and protests over the attempt to delete the word “massacre,” a settlement formula was reached that was described as somewhat complicated, and came as follows: “Proposing a law to commemorate the massacre and commemorate heroism on the 22nd of Tishrei, the Feast of the Joy of the Torah, October 7th.”

During the course of the legislation, several amendments were made to the proposal in response to comments from bereaved families who participated in the Knesset sessions.

Among these amendments is addressing the issue of fortified shelters spread along Route 232, as a formula was reached requiring any local authority within the scope of which a shelter that witnessed events on October 7 is located to inform the Education Committee of any decision related to changing or moving it.

This also includes providing details of the public engagement mechanism that preceded the decision.

The dispute over the method of determining the anniversary date was one of the most prominent issues that almost brought down the law, which was approved at the last minute.

Some members of the committee and bereaved families called for an emphasis on the Hebrew date of the events, i.e. the 22nd of Tishrei, while others saw that the date of October 7th is the only memory that has been firmly established in the consciousness since that day.

The law, in its final form, is not fully approved by all parties, but it reflects a degree of consensus after long discussions in which bereaved families, families of detainees, citizens, survivors, and professional bodies participated.

The “Gaza Envelope Future” movement welcomed the approval of the law, and said in a statement: “We congratulate the approval of the Law on Remembrance, Heritage and Commemoration of the October 7 Massacre in the second and third readings.”

She added: “After months of work within the Knesset and with decision-makers, some of the principles we fought for found expression within the law.”

The movement continued: “We will continue to follow up on its implementation, work to improve the issues that still require solutions, and ensure that the voice of the residents of the Gaza Strip continues to be heard during the next stage.”

Between the dispute over naming the events, the division over the date of their commemoration, and the controversy over the government’s control over the commemoration body, the law was approved in its final hours as a compromise that combines official memory with the narratives of families and survivors, without ending the open Israeli debate about responsibility and the political meaning of the events of October 7.