Haifa Municipality has reportedly delayed for around two years the installation of a memorial site for Dana Petrenko, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
According to her mother, Olga Gluzman, she requested the placement of a small heart-shaped bench facing the sea in the city where she lives, as a way to commemorate her daughter.
Gluzman claims that municipal officials initially sought to relocate the memorial to a side garden, and later issued what she described as an unusual demand for 60,000 shekels in order to place the bench on the beachfront.
The family has expressed frustration over what they describe as a prolonged lack of response from the municipality. Gluzman says she has repeatedly sought meetings and contact with Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav, but has not received a response.
She also stated that she is willing to pay the requested sum, yet says the matter has remained unresolved for an extended period.
The case has prompted questions among those involved regarding the municipality’s handling of the request, including concerns raised by some about possible discrimination and bureaucratic obstacles faced by the bereaved family.
Gluzman, in a video statement, said she is “a bereaved mother living in Haifa" and emphasized that she is only seeking to commemorate her daughter, without special treatment or concessions, but rather a formal place of remembrance.
The situation remains under discussion, with the memorial request still pending approval.