A bereaved father whose son was killed in the Nova music festival massacre confronted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his corruption trial on Wednesday, in what was a planned protest over the government’s refusal to establish a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attacks.
Yoram Yehudai, the father of Ron Yehudai, interrupted the hearing and shouted at Netanyahu, saying, “I will haunt you until you establish a state commission of inquiry — make no mistake about it.” Court security officers escorted him out of the courtroom.
The October Council — a group of families whose relatives were killed or kidnapped in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack — said the move was part of a broader escalation in its campaign against Netanyahu. The group accuses the prime minister of blocking a formal investigation into the failures surrounding the attack and the government’s response.
Yehudai, a member of the council, arrived at the Tel Aviv District Court in the morning. Security guards initially refused to let him enter while he was holding a photo of his son, who was murdered at the Nova festival. He said he wanted to look Netanyahu “in the eyes” after nearly two years in which the prime minister has declined to meet with bereaved families.
“We will be everywhere,” Yehudai said after being removed from the courtroom. “The October Council will reach every place — the squares, the streets, and the court. We are intensifying our struggle, and what you’ve seen so far is nothing compared to what’s ahead. For my Ron, I won’t give up. There will be no whitewash committee — only a state commission of inquiry that investigates everyone and everything, including personal accountability.”
Netanyahu continues to testify in Case 1000, one of three corruption cases against him, at the Tel Aviv District Court. He requested a break in his testimony from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to visit the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv.