Herzog redoubles push for state October 7 commission amid hubbub over tape of troops

President Isaac Herzog is reiterating his call for a state commission of inquiry into the events surrounding the October 7, 2023 attack, citing the pain of families of surveillance troops who have fought for a year for traces of their loved ones in the moments before they were captured or killed.

“The cries of the families of the surveillance soldiers and many other bereaved families who have turned to me breaks my heart and sharpens the need to convene a state commission of inquiry according to the law,” he is quoted saying in Hebrew language media.

On Monday, the army agreed to hand over audio footage of the soldiers from the day before the attack, but families have quickly complained that the tapes are incomplete and omit some of their daughters.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government politicians have staunchly refused to sign off on allowing the state to probe any failures or possible takeaways from the leadup to the massacre, the actual attack or its aftermath, saying such work should only be done when the war in Gaza has ended.

At the same time, Defense Minister Israel Katz has demanded the army carry out extensive probes and assign blame before approving any high-level military appointments.

Critics accuse the government of seeking to shirk responsibility, pointing to efforts to instead establish a government-run commission that would likely lack the powers and buy-in of a state-commissioned inquest.

“Trust must return to the state and the defense system, including by probing and deeply studying the failures and the terrible catastrophe of October 7 in a reliable and independent manner,” Herzog says.

Doing so “will lead to drawing lessons on a national level, taking responsibility, drawing conclusions and building trust between the citizens and our beloved State of Israel,” he adds.