Members of the October Council, a forum of families of hostages and bereaved families, came to the Knesset Monday to call for a state commission of inquiry into October 7.
In the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, the families called on the Knesset to adopt President Isaac Herzog's plan for a state probe, which he agreed on with Supreme Court Chief Justice Isaac Amit and which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu rejected.
A state commission of inquiry is the most powerful probe in the legal system and the only type that operates independently of the political echelon. Its members are appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and it has the power to subpoena witnesses and make personal recommendations regarding individuals.
An inquiry into the events surrounding October 7 has repeatedly been blocked by Israel's political echelon despite polls showing huge public support for this type of investigation.
Avishai Edri, a resident of Kibbutz Nahal Oz who was forced to hide with his family in his shelter on October 7 for 17 hours, spoke at the committee meeting.
He described the challenges he faced as a resident of the kibbutz before October 7 – including knowing that there were Hamas attack tunnels under his Kibbutz, rockets, and incendiary balloons.
His family was able to face these "only because of the faith we had in the systems of The State of Israel," he told the committee.
"On October 7, that faith was broken. On October 7, 100 Nukhba terrorists took over my neighborhood—the Sadot neighborhood. They massacred the residents."
Edri said it was clear to him that the IDF would be there within half an hour, but it then took forces 17 hours to reach him.
"During those 17 hours, I was trapped in the safe room, and my thoughts took me to some of the darkest periods in Jewish history. During that time, I came to terms with my approaching end and thought only about how to save my four children."
Edri described asking his children to be quiet and hiding them under the bed behind boxes.
"Today, we are a year and a half after [October 7], and we are still facing our dashed hopes," he said.
"There is no security for the residents of the Gaza border communities," he said, stressing that " Without an inquiry, we cannot be fair to our children in bringing them back to that place."
This will only be possible after an in-depth, objective investigation, he said.
"The only way to conduct this investigation properly is through a state commission of inquiry established according to the law, with full investigative powers—a commission that will examine everything and everyone, going back decades, from the tactical level to the political echelon."
'Let me bring my children home'
"I am here to plead with the Israeli government: allow me to bring my children home and let them live there in security. My children, who hid under their beds that day, deserve that security. You owe us that."
Reut Recht Edri, whose son was in the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and saved multiple Nova festival partygoers before he was killed, also spoke.
"The heavy price has been paid—and continues to be paid—by the bereaved families," she said.
"The President presented a very fair compromise proposal, one that was born out of our meetings with coalition members and ministers who told us outright that advancing this framework was the right path forward."
Yoram Yehudai, whose son Ron was killed in the Hamas attack on the Nova festival, also spoke at the meeting, calling for an inquiry.
"We are not looking for anyone’s head, but rather to prevent the next disaster," he said.
He added that he is "from a religious Likud-supporting home in Hatzor HaGlilit," stressing that his political opinions are not left-wing.
"My father taught me that the mitzvah between a person and their fellow is greater than the mitzvah between a person and God. Most of the public officials we are begging to advance a state commission of inquiry are observant, and I ask them to reflect on this principle," he said.
"The president came up with an idea—we thought the Israeli government would embrace it. Instead, the government rejected the proposal, and there wasn’t even a discussion."
"The President of the State threw the Israeli government a lifeline—a life raft, a rescue ship, a ladder to climb down from the high tree they’ve clung to—and it was rejected outright," he added.
"I don’t understand this. What do you want to happen? That the coalition and opposition choose the investigators? We will not let that happen. Those under investigation will not appoint their investigators."
Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.
