Bibas Accuses Magal of Acting as Netanyahu's Messenger

Ofri Bibas, sister of hostage survivor Yarden Bibas and sister-in-law of Shiri Bibas, aunt to murdered children Ariel and Kfir, sharply criticized commentator Yinon Magal on Wednesday for his remarks against families of hostages and murder victims who have criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking on 103FM radio, Bibas stated that Magal's comments were intended to divert public discussion from the government's responsibility for the failures leading up to and during the October 7th massacre.

Bibas asserted that the discourse of division and incitement aims to generate hatred and fear, preventing people from asking critical questions. She accused Magal of acting as a messenger for Prime Minister Netanyahu, conveying messages the premier cannot voice himself. "This is how the Prime Minister's term is built," she said, adding that Netanyahu sends proxies to speak on his behalf so he can later disavow their statements.

She emphasized that three years after the October 7th massacre, the focus should be on the victims and the government's actions, or lack thereof. Bibas argued that the government has no significant political achievements in the past three years and that the country's situation is worse in many respects. She contrasted the military leadership, which she said is willing to face inquiries and admit mistakes, with the political leadership, which has not done so since the massacre.

Magal, during his program on 103FM the previous evening, read out names of freed hostages and families of hostages and murder victims who contributed to a book titled "Mr. Abandonment - The Legacy of the One Who Abandoned the Hostages." He called the contributors "despicable people" and stated they would be remembered for eternity on the "pillory of shame" for falsely accusing Netanyahu of abandoning the hostages and wishing for their deaths.

Bibas maintained that the term "abandonment" is appropriate for describing the events of October 7th and the handling of her own family's situation. She stated that Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were still alive during the first 15 days after the attack, when bringing back the hostages was not even a war objective, and this constitutes abandonment in her view. She invited Magal and other government officials to visit an exhibition called "The Space That Remains" to look victims' families in the eye and ask for forgiveness.