Israel cannot heal from October 7 without confronting its failures - opinion

Three years after the October 7 massacre, Israel marked its third anniversary with a new day of remembrance. The author argues that without a state commission of inquiry into the failures, Israel cannot heal or learn from the disaster. He warns of two dangerous paradigms: the belief that Israel can move forward without a full investigation, and the belief that every problem can be solved with military force. The piece criticizes political leaders for lacking comprehensive plans for the Palestinian conflict.

Three years after the October 7 massacre, Israel marked its third anniversary with a new day of remembrance, accompanied by songs of grief typically heard on Remembrance Day and Holocaust Remembrance Day. The author, Yaakov Katz, argues that unlike the first two anniversaries, this one offers an opportunity for genuine national reckoning, as the high-intensity war has subsided and all hostages have returned home. However, he warns that Israel has fallen into two dangerous paradigms: the belief that it can move forward without a state commission of inquiry, and the belief that every problem can be solved with military force. He compares the situation to the Yom Kippur War, where a commission of inquiry led to resignations and fundamental changes. Katz criticizes political leaders for lacking comprehensive plans for the Palestinian conflict, noting that while Avigdor Liberman proposed dismantling the PA and transferring the West Bank to Jordan, the plan is unrealistic. He questions what Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot, and Benjamin Netanyahu propose as alternatives. The piece argues that a state commission of inquiry is existential for Israel to heal and learn from the failures.

Israel cannot heal from October 7 without confronting its failures - opinion