The separate Human Commission of Inquiry into October 7 blames Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former security officials, and the eyes of Israel’s protection companies, among others, for the government’s failures in the lead-up and on the day of Hamas attacks on Israel’s civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.
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If Israel was n’t at war, it’s hard to see how Netanyahu could endure this “scathing” report, as the Times of Israel describes it.
The political leadership is accused of acting conceited and blind, while also idealizing truth and trying to buy silence from Hamas using money to continue to function to develop Hamas.
The top command’s repeated warnings to Netanyahu failed to engage in serious discussions about the growing Hamas risk, claiming that” the connection between the prime minister and the political command, and the whole military and professional management, is weak or has not existed at all for a long time.”
Then-defense secretary Yoav Gallant, the IDF chief of staff, the head of Defense Intelligence and their predecessors were also responsible for the crisis, having, among other things, reduced the IDF’s existence along the Gaza border and abandoning the IDF’s study troops to their death, the committee finds.
Former senior defense officials, such as current opposition politician and ex-defense minister Benny Gantz, share responsibility for the IDF’s failures, including the idea of shifting to a” small and smart army”, the report charges.
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According to the report, the IDF, Shin Bet, and other organizations” completely failed to fulfill their sole objective — protecting the citizens of Israel,” and that the entire government had “failed its primary mission.”
Although it may seem harsh, the Israeli-Israeli debate has been raging for more than a year. The commission attributes the errors to “arrogance,” claiming that” the IDF was not prepared for the massive invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists, despite their original plan being known.”
Former senior defense officials, such as current opposition politician and ex-defense minister Benny Gantz, share responsibility for the IDF’s failures, including the idea of shifting to a” small and smart army”, the report charges.
Additionally,” the IDF’s chief of staff and senior leadership are to blame for the” Jericho Wall “‘s lack of operational response and the warnings issued on October 6 and 7 morning.”
Israel reportedly obtained Hamas’s plans for its October 7 assault, known as the” Jericho Wall,” more than a year prior to the devastating attack, according to The New York Times ‘ report from last year.
Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid called the report “in-depth, comprehensive, and important”. Lapid was cleared of any responsibility for October 7 by speaking before the commission in August. According to Lapid, “everysymptom of October 6 can still be found in this government one year later.”
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One of those symptoms was Israel’s belief that it could buy Hamas’s good behavior. The commission attributed the “maintaining the concept of cash for quiet,” albeit in different ways, to Netanyahu and former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Lapid.
The report was an eerie echo of the 9/11 Commission. That disaster was caused by arrogance and a lacked imagination. I wonder, have we learned anything from those two infamous dates?
