Survivors Demand Truth Commission at Mass Memorial Event

Approximately 70,000 people gathered at Park HaYarkon in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening for a national memorial ceremony organized by the "Komo" movement and families of victims from the October 7th attacks. The event, co-hosted by hostage survivor Eli Sharabi and actress Chani Cohen, featured a prominent call for the establishment of an investigative commission.

Omri Shaproni, who lost four family members in the Kibbutz Be'eri massacre, addressed the crowd, stating, "Mutual guarantee alone is not enough. To rebuild trust, we also need the truth. We must know what happened. Without investigating the truth, we cannot fix, and we cannot ensure this won't happen again." He emphasized that the pursuit of truth should transcend political debate, calling it a moral, ethical, and security imperative.

Rabbi Beni Klimenzon, father of fallen soldier Elhanan Klimenzon, recited the Kaddish prayer and called for unity and mutual responsibility. Aviva Chana, sister of Yisrael Chana who fell in Ofakim, recounted her brother's bravery. Eli Sharabi, who lost his wife and daughters in Be'eri and whose brother Yossi was abducted and murdered in captivity, also urged the formation of an investigative commission. "We must remember what happened. Investigate how it happened. Do not cut corners. Do not let time blur the truth, do not rewrite history, and do not let history repeat itself," Sharabi stated, adding that memory is the path forward to learning, fixing, and building a safer future.

The ceremony included performances by numerous artists, including Shlomo Artzi, Gali Atari, and Miri Mesika. Opposition politicians such as Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, and Gadi Eisenkot were also in attendance.