From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 3, 2025
In letter read at Knesset, Yarden Bibas says ‘so few taking responsibility’ for October 7
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"
Addressing the Knesset plenum, National Unity MK Chili Tropper reads a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu by recently released hostage Yarden Bibas, whose wife Shiri and sons Ariel and Kfir were murdered in captivity by Hamas.
In his letter, Bibas says that he “will no longer be able to hug my children and my wife” but that there are other hostages who can still be rescued, and calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu help bring them home.
Bibas also calls for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry and invites Netanyahu to come with him to visit Kibbutz Nir Oz for the first time.
“Mr. Prime Minister, you and your government have still not taken responsibility,” he writes.
“So many citizens are asking for forgiveness. So few politicians are asking for forgiveness. So many citizens and fighters are taking responsibility. So few members of the government are taking responsibility. Eighty-three percent of Israeli citizens are demanding a state commission of inquiry, along with 1,500 October Council families, myself among them.”
“I am constantly thinking and regretting that I did not protect my wife and children better. It eats me up inside. I only had a gun and I am a simple citizen in a quiet kibbutz. Do you think about this? Do you also find it difficult to spend days and nights without a heavy sense of responsibility for what happened?” he asks.
“I have not yet entered my home in Nir Oz and I do not know what awaits me inside. I ask you to come with me, to join me for the first time since October 7. I ask that we do this together. If we do not look the disaster in the eye, we will not be able to recover.”
After reading Bibas’s letter, Tropper walks over to Netanyahu to give it to him, but the prime minister does not look up. Tropper puts it down in front of him.
11 שניות שמראות ניתוק .
חילי טרופר מגיש לו מכתב ממשפחת ביבס .
והאיש בכלל לא רואה וכנראה לא מעניין אותו.
עצוב. וכאזרח.
גם שובר לב.
???????? pic.twitter.com/5nN3EbGHXE— YANIV HALIVA TOLEDANO ???????? (@htyaniv) March 3, 2025
