A group of bereaved parents is releasing a video responding to Gadi Eisenkot's announcement that he intends to promote the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 disaster.
Among the parents featured in the video is Gali Hoshen, whose daughter Hadar was killed. Speaking with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, Hoshen explained the message the families want to convey to Eisenkot and other supporters of a state commission of inquiry.
The video was produced with the backing of the Forum of Law and Justice, which includes bereaved families who have spent the past two and a half years working with Knesset committees to advance legislation establishing an independent investigative committee whose members would be agreed upon by both the coalition and opposition.
Hoshen said the forum strongly opposes the proposed state commission, which its members view as politically influenced. She accused opposition lawmakers of repeatedly boycotting discussions on an alternative investigative framework while arguing that such a committee would itself be political.
According to Hoshen, the term "state commission" does not actually appear in the relevant law. She also objected to a system in which the president of the Supreme Court would appoint the commission's chairman and members.
"We have no confidence in Yitzhak Amit, and we have no confidence in the entire judicial system," she said. Hoshen accused the Supreme Court of intervening in issues related to military rules of engagement and argued that the court itself should therefore be subject to investigation.
"A state commission of inquiry does not meet our needs," she said. Instead, she called for a special investigative committee modeled on the commission established in the United States following the September 11 attacks.
Hoshen said such a committee should include representatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as respected figures from academia and former public positions who had no connection to the events of October 7.
"We want it to be a committee not on behalf of politicians, but people who are trusted from academia and past public positions, unrelated to October 7."
She also called for the proceedings to be as transparent as possible, arguing that the public should be able to follow the investigation and hear the testimony.
"A committee should be open to the public," Hoshen said. "We want the investigations to be broadcast and for the people to hear the voices."
The forum is also demanding special observer status for representatives of bereaved families and families of hostages. Hoshen said the committee should allow any two members to summon individuals they believe should be questioned.
She argued that having members chosen through an agreement between the coalition and opposition could provide greater balance and prevent attempts to conceal information.
Another concern raised by Hoshen is the possibility that investigative materials could eventually be sealed for decades, as happened with materials from the Agranat Commission, which investigated the failures surrounding the Yom Kippur War.
"We want things to be open to the public," she said, while acknowledging that classified security information would naturally have to remain confidential.
The families also want the final investigation to identify those responsible for the failures surrounding October 7 and lead to consequences for those found responsible.
Hoshen said the forum has attempted to persuade opposition lawmakers and bereaved families who support the opposition to join its initiative, but has so far received little response.
"They want a head and not the truth. If they wanted the truth, they would be with us," she said.
She also questioned the motives of senior security officials who have supported establishing a commission of inquiry, arguing that their involvement could create a conflict of interest and lead to an investigation that absolves them of responsibility.
The forum's video focuses specifically on Eisenkot, whom Hoshen said the families were particularly disappointed by after he visited Nir Oz and expressed support for establishing a state commission.
"It hurt us that he went to Nir Oz and said there that he wanted a state commission of inquiry," she said. "He went to the comfortable place and said what they want to hear. You want to be prime minister and you exclude us? We don't matter?" she added.
Hoshen stressed that the families are not seeking to exclude any potential suspect from an investigation, including the prime minister. Rather, she said, every individual and institution connected to the events of October 7 should be examined.
"We need to fix and punish. There are 1,200 murders here. A person who accidentally kills in a car accident pays; why not those responsible for these deaths?" she said.
She also criticized right-wing Knesset members who have not joined legislation promoted by MK Ariel Kallner seeking to establish an alternative investigative framework.
Hoshen expressed concern that Kallner's relatively low position on the Likud list could prevent him from returning to the next Knesset, potentially forcing the legislative initiative to begin again from scratch.
She called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to place Kallner in a realistic position on the party's list and ensure that the proposed legislation remains active through the next Knesset.