From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Gantz calls for state commission of inquiry into failures that led to October 7 ‘as soon as possible’
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
National Unity chair Benny Gantz calls for the opening of a state commission of inquiry into the failures that led to October 7 “as soon as possible,” stating that he will personally submit a proposal for its establishment.
“We’ve all seen the difficult video of the kidnapping in Nahal Oz, we’ve all seen the public debate about whether or not warning was given to the prime minister. There is no doubt, the period and the events leading up to October 7, and the continuation of the campaign since then, are a national upheaval that we must learn from,” Gantz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet, says in a video message.
The statement comes after the Hostages and Missing Families Forum released harrowing footage yesterday showing the abduction of five female soldiers from the Nahal Oz base by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
“At this time, it is no longer enough that we take responsibility for what happened. We must take responsibility and act, so that it never happens again,” Gantz continues, insisting that “the only way to do this is through a state commission of inquiry that should be set up as soon as possible.”
“I intend to soon submit a proposed resolution for its establishment, so that the committee can organize itself for the start of work on a date that will be agreed upon,” he says.
Several hours before Gantz’s statement, the IDF stated, in response to a freedom of information request by the Hatzlacha NGO, that over a period of several months last year, the prime minister had received four separate communiques from Military Intelligence warning him about how the country’s enemies were viewing the social upheaval in Israel at the time.
Netanyahu rejected the claim, countering that not only was “there no warning in any of the documents about Hamas’s intentions to attack Israel from Gaza, but they instead give a completely opposite assessment.”
Netanyahu has insisted on waiting for a state commission of inquiry to make determinations regarding the culpability of the government — which he insists cannot take place while the war in Gaza is ongoing.
Last weekend, Gantz threatened to bolt the coalition unless Netanyahu significantly changes his approach to managing the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Times of Israel Community.