The October 7 Bereaved Families Council issued a sharp condemnation Monday night after the Knesset passed a bill for a political commission of inquiry in a first reading, calling it a 'whitewash committee.' 'Every Knesset member who raised their hand today — for them it was a first reading, for the bereaved families it was nothing less than a second tearing,' the council said, vowing that a state commission of inquiry will be established and that lawmakers will be held accountable. According to journalist Dafna Liel (N12).
The October 7 Bereaved Families Council responded with fury Monday night to the Knesset's first-reading passage of a bill establishing a political commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 massacre — a vote that took place while the opposition boycotted the chamber.
The council's statement, released shortly after the 59–0 vote, accused lawmakers of whitewashing the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. 'The blood of our brothers, our children and our loved ones cries out to us from the earth,' the council said. 'Every Knesset member who raised their hand today for the political whitewash committee should know — for them it was a first reading, for the bereaved families it was nothing less than a second tearing.'
In a separate, more directly threatening statement, the council vowed: 'A state commission of inquiry will be established and you will all bear responsibility and guilt. We will ensure this, even if it is the last thing we do. This is the testament of the fallen who fought to their last drop of blood. This is the request of the hostages who rotted in the tunnels. This is the demand of the observation soldiers who were burned alive and the young women who were brutally raped on your watch.'
The council's double statement escalates the already bitter political battle between bereaved families and the coalition over the form of the October 7 investigation. Bereaved families, along with the opposition and many in the public, demand a state commission of inquiry with full judicial authority, arguing the coalition-backed bill creates a body controlled by the governing majority. The bill now moves to committee preparation for second and third readings.
4 developments
- DevelopingLiberman calls political commission of inquiry 'whitewash committee' after first-reading passage; Eisenkot also reacts
- StrongOctober Council to Knesset: This is our second tearing, not your first reading
- DevelopingKnesset committee approves bill for political commission of inquiry into October 7 massacre
- StrongKnesset debates bill for political commission of inquiry into October 7 as MKs spar over composition
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