Marking the one-year anniversary of the Hamas massacre on Simchat Torah, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took to X/Twitter on Wednesday, calling for the creation of a state commission of inquiry.
“We must examine ourselves with absolute honesty to ensure such a terrible failure never occurs again. On that day, we saw we are a nation of lions, but we also witnessed the failings of our leadership,” Bennett wrote.
שמחת התורה התשפ״ד, לפני שנה. הנה הסיפור הזעיר שלי מאותו יום ארור, ה7/10. כמו רוב תושבי המדינה, גם משפחתי התעוררה למשמע אזעקות סביב 6:30 בבוקר ברעננה. ירדנו לממ״ד, חיכינו כמה דקות וחזרתי לחדר השינה שלי. פתחתי את הטלפון. (רקע: משך השנים כשהייתי שר בממשלה, בכל פעם שהיה ״סבב״… pic.twitter.com/1V0ZEiHwLI
— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) October 23, 2024
Bennett explained that he had urged senior officials and commanders to send reinforcements to the Gaza border but received no response. He also added that he was in disbelief over what was unfolding on October 7.”
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Every few seconds, residents reported: ‘Terrorists are entering my home. What should I do?’ or ‘Where are the soldiers?’ or ‘I hear noises outside. How do I know if it’s soldiers or terrorists?’”
Reflecting on the events of that fateful Simchat Torah, Bennett shared his personal experience: “Like many across the country, my family and I woke up to the sound of sirens around 6:30 a.m. in Ra’anana. We headed to the shelter, and after a few minutes, I went back to the bedroom. Around 7:00 a.m., I began receiving messages from residents of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, informing me that terrorists were inside the kibbutz and there was no military presence.”
Bennett explained that he had urged senior officials and commanders to send reinforcements to the Gaza border but received no response. He added that he personally went to his reserve unit’s base in an effort to assist, and other reservists and civilians rose to the occasion.
A nation of lions
“But we are blessed with a nation of lions. Thousands of young men and women from across the country realized they had to head to the killing fields on their own, either to fight or to save residents,” Bennett said. “The Kalmanzon squad, Rami Davidian, the Slutsky brothers (may their memories be a blessing), Ben Shimoni (may his memory be a blessing), and many, many others — some who fell, and some who survived. Several IDF units also rushed into the inferno, losing many fighters while heroically battling during those fateful hours.”
“I often ask myself if there was more I could have done that day.”
He also reiterated the need for action, saying, “We must bring our 101 hostages home and return evacuees from the north and south safely to their homes. Only then can we begin to heal as a country.”
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