State comptroller hits back at IDF chief over criticism of probe into Oct. 7 failures

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman insists in a letter to IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi that the examination that his office has begun into the multi-system failures leading up to, and on, October 7 is both necessary and feasible despite the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza.

Englman’s letter comes in response to objections Halevi raised to the state comptroller on Wednesday, who told Englman that his examination was both unprecedented and would divert the attention of IDF commanders currently conducting operations in Gaza and asked him to delay his probe.

“The severe failures that led to the events of October 7 require a deep and fundamental examination by the State Comptroller’s Office of all [decision-making] echelons, political, military and civilian,” Englman tells Halevi.

He also points out that he has already begun examinations and even issued criticism of governmental failings on the home front since the beginning of the war, seemingly to ward off criticism that his examination into military failures is politically motivated to deflect blame from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Englman adds that his office has told the IDF that at present all that it requires is access to military documents to begin preparations for the examination, and says that other security agencies involved in the war have already complied with a similar request.

“There is no reason at all that similar cooperation, which it should be emphasized does not require the attention of the combat ranks, should not also be established for the IDF,” writes Englman.

Last week, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel sent a letter to Englman expressing concern about his request for classified documents from the IDF and the security agencies, and not from political and decision-making agencies and officials, and said his activities could harm a future state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures.