Rafi Ben Shitrit, a founder of the October Council and father of fallen hero Elroi Ben Shitrit, said the coalition continues its 'futile attempts to bury the truth' and called the political commission of inquiry 'a mark of shame on the forehead of a government in whose watch the greatest massacre of Jews since Auschwitz occurred,' according to Channel 12. The Knesset approved the bill for a political commission of inquiry in a first reading Monday evening.
Rafi Ben Shitrit, a founder of the October Council and father of fallen soldier Elroi Ben Shitrit, called the Knesset-approved political commission of inquiry a 'whitewash committee' and a 'mark of shame' on the government. His remarks, reported by Channel 12 at Mon 21:37 Jerusalem, came minutes after the bill passed its first reading, echoing the council's own condemnation earlier that evening.
At Mon 21:37 Jerusalem, the October Council itself had already issued a statement denouncing the vote as a 'second tearing' for bereaved families and vowing that a state commission of inquiry 'will be established.' The thread shows three nearly simultaneous versions of that condemnation, with the council warning lawmakers they would be held accountable — a stance Ben Shitrit now reinforces personally. The council's position has been consistent since before the vote: in late June, as The Zioneer reported at Mon 19:33 Jerusalem, it responded to the High Court's ruling that the State Comptroller's probe was ultra vires by saying the truth had been 'delayed, whitewashed, and waiting' for 1,000 days.
As The Zioneer has reported over the past month, the Constitution Committee voted to advance the political commission bill on Sun Jun 7, 23:43 Jerusalem, while fighting raged in the north and south. Bereaved families and legal experts have argued only a state commission of inquiry — not a political one — can provide an independent investigation. The October Council, representing thousands of victims' families, has led civil memorial events across the country, including a 'Day of a Thousand' rally on Thu Jul 2, 06:32 Jerusalem, as The Zioneer reported.
The bill requires second and third readings to become law. It remains unclear whether the coalition will secure the needed majority, and the October Council has vowed to continue its campaign for a state commission.
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
Source and signal
- Internal intake