State Comptroller Engelman Defends Delayed October 7 Reports and Responsibility Findings

State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman issued a first public response on Wednesday to the controversy surrounding his reports on the October 7 massacre, some of which are frozen under a High Court order. Speaking at the Muni Expo conference, he said, "Who is afraid of the truth and of taking responsibility?" and claimed that some petitioners who challenged the reports had previously met with him and asked him to remove the responsibility chapter and publish the documents anyway.

Engelman said the report on the Nova festival, which the High Court has barred from publication, is "resonant, serious and extremely important" for drawing lessons, and added that the public, especially parents whose children were murdered, deserve answers. In a conversation with journalist Yanir Cozin, he said the office has already published nearly 50 reports and expects another batch to be released in the coming week, including findings on the evacuation of the wounded. He noted that on October 7 Israel had "thousands of wounded" from the terrorist attack and that many bled to death without evacuation.

He said eight reports are currently frozen by the High Court. Four are drafts sent last July, and four deal with core failure points. Among them, he said, is a report on the permitting and security of the Reim party, where nearly 400 people were killed and others were raped and kidnapped. Engelman said the public is entitled to answers and asked why criticism is feared, adding that this does not conflict with any future commission of inquiry.

Engelman said about 100 person-years were invested in the reports, covering intelligence failures, the border fence failure, evacuation of bodies, and protection of southern cities. He said the office examines all levels, political, military and civilian, and assigns responsibility. He concluded that some petitioners told him to delete the responsibility chapter, but he refused, saying he is committed to Israel's citizens and that the word "responsibility" must not disappear from public discourse.