Shin Bet chief orders removal of memorial for 7 October victims to avoid ‘constant reminder of defeat’

Israel’s Shin Bet chief David Zini has ordered the removal of a memorial inside the agency’s headquarters dedicated to personnel killed in the 7 October attack and its aftermath.

Israeli critics said the move appeared to be an attempt to remove symbols of the failure and defeat associated with that day.

In a statement, the Shin Bet confirmed that Zini had instructed staff to dismantle the memorial. The agency said the decision was based on the view that displaying photos of only some of those killed “reduces the scale of the failure and reflects only part of the disaster”. It noted that a permanent memorial wall bearing the names of all fallen agency personnel already exists.

However, Haaretz quoted people close to Zini as saying the real reason was that “the failure should not be before people’s eyes every day”. They reportedly described the memorial corner as reflecting a “defeatist spirit”.

The memorial had been established by agency employees and included photographs of Shin Bet personnel killed during the 7th October attack and the subsequent war, as well as photos of other victims who were relatives of agency staff.

According to Israeli figures, 12 Shin Bet personnel were killed during the attack and the events that followed, in what is widely regarded as one of the most serious defeats suffered by Israel.

Observers say the controversy surrounding the removal of the memorial reflects continuing divisions within Israel over the consequences of the 7 October attack, which is still widely viewed as one of the country’s worst military, security and intelligence failures.

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