Bereaved families from the Din V’Tzedek and HaGvura (Heroism) forums issued a statement to the media Tuesday afternoon from the HaGvura protest tent in Jerusalem, marking three years since the outbreak of the war and calling for the establishment of a “national commission of inquiry.”
“Dozens of families gathered here Tuesday. Three years ago, our sons and daughters rushed into battle with extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice, all for the sake of victory, for the residents of the south and north, for future generations and for our future,” said Itzik Fitoussi, father of Yishai Fitoussi, who fell in battle in Nahal Oz, and acting chairman of the HaGvura Forum.
Bereaved families in Jerusalem
(Photo: HaGvura Forum )
“Against that heroism stood the magnitude of the failure — the complacency, the arrogance and the flawed assumptions that led to the devastating consequences,” he said. “Mr. Prime Minister, we call on you from the HaGvura protest tent in Jerusalem, for the living and in memory of the fallen, to establish a national commission of inquiry into the events. A commission that will investigate all the institutions involved — the military, security, political and judicial establishments. Yes, the judicial system as well, which also bears responsibility alongside the other systems.”
He called for “a commission that will conduct its work impartially, with broad investigative tools, the necessary resources and the authority to recommend disciplinary action and criminal prosecution. A commission that will deliver justice and that will have the trust of all segments of Israeli society. Not a commission appointed by those who have lost the public’s trust — the Supreme Court, which, as we saw just days ago, is unable to confront supporters of terrorism. An equitable commission with genuine representation for all parts of the nation.”
Orly Cohen, whose son Amit was murdered in a roadside shelter near Re’im and who is a member of the Din V’Tzedek Forum, added: “We, the families of those murdered on October 7, demand truth and justice for our loved ones. The blood of our loved ones demands that the truth be uncovered. We will not allow the establishment of a so-called state commission of inquiry whose members are appointed by a Supreme Court justice who is at the heart of the social dispute and has lost the trust of large segments of the public. There is no denying that, for years, the Supreme Court intervened in security policy and imposed restrictions on IDF operations.”
“We represent hundreds of families affected by the October 7 attack who do not trust a state commission of inquiry appointed by Supreme Court justices to provide cover for those who failed to protect us,” she said. “We proposed legislation for a national commission of inquiry based on the model of the commission that investigated the events of 9/11. Some elected officials are cynically exploiting this painful issue, pledging to establish such a commission even though they do not truly support it. The next election will effectively be a referendum on how the October 7 failures should be investigated. We call on the people of Israel to vote only for candidates who will act responsibly on behalf of the entire public and pledge to establish a national, equitable commission immediately after the election.”