Father of Israeli Soldier Killed on October 7 Demands Accountability from Netanyahu Government

The father of an Israeli soldier killed during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack has called for political leaders to be held accountable and demanded a state commission of inquiry into the events surrounding the attack.

Rafi Ben Shitrit, whose son Alroy Ben Shitrit was killed during the October 7 attack, spoke at an event in Tel Aviv titled “Sukkah of the Failure.”

According to The Times of Israel, Ben Shitrit said several former senior military and security officials had acknowledged responsibility for failures surrounding the attack, while he argued that political leaders should also face scrutiny.

He said he had met former Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi four times and told him that he bore responsibility because the attack occurred during his tenure. Ben Shitrit also referred to former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who has acknowledged responsibility for his part in the events.

The grieving father called on the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to provide answers to families who lost relatives in the attack.

He also demanded the establishment of a state commission to investigate the failures surrounding October 7 and determine responsibility across the political and security leadership.

Retired Major General Noam Tibon also addressed the gathering and called for the failures surrounding the attack to be examined.

The event took place amid continuing debate in Israel over accountability for the security failures preceding and accompanying the October 7 attack.

Speakers at the gathering also urged Israelis to participate in the upcoming election and use their right to vote.