Families of October 7 victims demand early Israeli elections
Early elections are needed since the current government has refused to investigate the October 7 Hamas massacre, the leaders of the October Council demanded on Tuesday.
The NGO, which represents over 1,500 families of victims of the October 7 attacks, declared that it was shifting the focus of its operations from demanding a state Commission of inquiry to demanding an early election at a press conference in Beersheba.
According to Eyal Eshel, father of field intelligence lookout Roni Eshel, who was killed on October 7, 'Throughout the process, the current government has been given every possible opportunity to establish a state commission of inquiry. Only when the elections are moved forward will the obstruction end, and the chances of uncovering the truth increase.
'Advancing the elections is not a political call; it is a moral call, dictated by circumstances and the urgent need to reach the truth.'
The press conference was held at the Kaye Academic College of Education in Beersheba, where a number of politicians were attending the Sderot Conference on Society and Education, and coincided with the 600-day mark of the massacre, which will be reached on Wednesday.
Other speakers included Osnat Peri, widow of Haim Peri of Nir Oz, who was taken hostage and died in captivity; Reut Recht-Edri, mother of Ido Edri, a Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) fighter who was killed at the Nova festival; Adi Zakuto, daughter of Avi, who was killed in Ofakim; and Yoram Yehudai, father of Ron, who was also killed at the Nova festival.
In a statement accompanying the details of the press conference, the council said, 'The government has announced that it will never establish a state commission of inquiry, leaving us no choice: We are launching a campaign to bring forward the elections.'
The NGO continued, 'We have spent a year trying to engage in dialogue, seeking compromises and agreements, but the government has slammed the door on us. Today, we are moving to a new phase in our struggle. If holding elections is what it takes to establish a state commission of inquiry, then we will fight to ensure elections take place. We will not accept continued cover-ups, secrecy, and obstruction of the investigation.
'If we wait until the scheduled elections in October 2026, it means that even three years after the disaster in which we lost our loved ones, there still won't be a state commission of inquiry. In the meantime, documents will be shredded, testimonies will be coordinated, and crucial information will be erased.
'Therefore, we will work to advance the elections to reduce the number of days in which the possibility of establishing a state commission is blocked,' the group said.
On March 3, members of the October Council were physically barred from entering the visitors' section of the Knesset plenum to observe a discussion regarding a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre. A prolonged and partially violent confrontation ensued, after which at least two members of the council required medical treatment.
A state commission of inquiry is the most powerful probe in Israel's legal system and the only type of probe that operates completely independently of the political echelon. Its members are appointed by the chief justice, and it has the power to subpoena witnesses and make personal recommendations regarding individuals.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to form such a commission on the grounds that the chief justice does not enjoy public trust, and therefore, the committee's recommendations would be
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