Omri Shifroni, a co-founder of the Kumu movement, spoke at the national memorial ceremony organized by Kumu and the October 7 Families, addressing the systemic collapse on the morning of the massacre, the loss of public trust in the state, and the imperative to uncover the truth to repair what failed and prevent a future disaster.
Shifroni, whose niece Liel, nephew Yanai, and aunt and uncle Avia and Ayala Hetzroni were murdered at Kibbutz Be’eri, opened his remarks with a poignant tribute to his fallen family members.
“My beloved family, you should not have been murdered. None of you," he said. “You were alone, defenseless, and I could not help you either."
He went on to describe the profound sense of collapse he experienced that morning and the deep breach of trust it caused. “That morning, the systems collapsed, and the state failed to function. During those long hours in the safe room, the trust that had been our anchor was shattered."
Despite his painful words, Shifroni also highlighted the courage of the soldiers and civilians who answered the call. “Yet there was something else as well. Soldiers charged forward, fought their way through, and eventually arrived. Civilians stepped up wholeheartedly, and we felt the full strength of Israeli mutual responsibility."
Shifroni then stressed the critical need for a comprehensive investigation into the events of October 7, directly linking the pursuit of truth to the restoration of lost trust.
“Mutual responsibility alone is not enough. To rebuild trust, we also need the truth. We need to know what happened. Without investigating the truth, we will not be able to fix what went wrong, nor can we ensure that it never happens again."
Following his address, many in the audience rose to give him a standing ovation.