Israel Weekly News Roundup: Mar 7, 2025
Five things you need to know
Israel at War - Day 517
Gaza Ceasefire - Day 47
1. Knesset Guards Violently Prevent Bereaved Families and Survivors From Entering Plenum
Earlier this week, Knesset guards forcefully blocked members of the October Council, an organization comprised of October 7 bereaved families, survivors, freed hostages, and hostages’ families, from entering the visitors’ gallery, ahead of a Knesset plenum session on the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 Hamas massacre.
Before the violent clash occurred, forum members addressed Knesset committees. A father who lost his son in battle on October 7th said that the "demand for a state commission of inquiry is not a political subject. We have no interest in a political investigation and are not motivated by our political beliefs." Another bereaved father, whose daughter, an IDF spotter, was killed at the Nahal Oz base said: "Already during her shiva [the seven-day ritual mourning period], I started my own investigation to get answers on what happened. You, the military echelon and the political echelon, owe us answers – and you should have given them to us long ago."
In his speech at the Knesset plenum session, PM Netanyahu suggested that the findings and conclusions of a state commission of inquiry "are already predetermined… all concentrated at one end of the political spectrum." Netanyahu also contended that “this investigation must earn the trust of the people, a large portion of the people." However, polls show that 75% of Israelis support the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, appointed, according to the law, by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Only 15% of the public, according to polls, opposes the establishment of such a commission.
All Six opposition parties demanded that the speaker of the Knesset, Amir Ohana (Likud), apologize to the members of the October Council for ordering the Knesset guards to use violent force to block their entry to the visitors’ gallery.
2. Freed Israeli Hostages Meet President Trump Whose Administration Conducts Direct Negotiations with Hamas
Eight freed Israeli hostages met with President Trump at the Oval Office and later attended his address to congress earlier this week. The trip was initiated and sponsored by Israeli American philanthropist and Trump supporter Miriam Adelson. The delegation included Eli Sharabi, whose interview with Channel 12’s “Uvda” (Fact) investigative journalism show made waves in Israel. Eli’s brother told the media that excerpts from Sharabi’s moving interview “were shown to Trump, with English subtitles, and he was shocked once again, but also expressed great sympathy for those who survived captivity.”
At the meeting with Trump, freed hostage Omer Shem Tov told President Trump: “my family and I, we believe you’ve been sent by God to release us,” Omer Shem Tov told the president. “You really helped. You have the power to do it.”
Following the meeting, President Trump sent a harsh message to Hamas in a social media post, demanding that they release all hostages immediately: “Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you.” In response, Hamas said that if Trump wants the remaining hostages released, he should put pressure on PM Netanyahu and that his threats are jeopardizing the ceasefire.
Several media outlets reported that the U.S. is holding secret talks with Hamas in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on securing the release of hostages with U.S. citizenship, as well as the possibility of a broader agreement to reach a long-term truce. Egyptian sources reported that following the talks between Trump’s special envoy, Hamas and the mediators, they are closer to advancing to the second phase of the ceasefire/hostage deal.
3. Israels New Chief of Staff Took Office in a Low Key Ceremony
Eyal Zamir took office as the new chief of staff of the Israel Defense Force, at a time of political, social and security turmoil. His nomination followed the resignation of the former chief commander of the IDF, Herzi Halevi.
Major General Halevi announced, right after the October 7th Hamas attack, that he sees himself as responsible for the neglect, acting according to a mistaken concept, and the fact that the army did not function. For the fact that the communities on the border with Gaza had to fight alone against thousands of Hamas militants who invaded, occupied their homes, executed a large scale massacre of more than 1,200 people and abducted 251 people, 59 of whom are still in captivity. He said then that he will resign, but he decided not to do so at the time. He thought he should lead the army for the resulting offensive, and the ground operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Eventually he resigned before he finished his term. Eyal Zamir was nominated to replace him. At the military ceremony, with the attendance of PM Netanyahu and all the A list of officials, Halevi said that he thinks that Israel should establish a state commission of inquiry to investigate the events and the concepts that lead to the Hamas invasion and massacre. The question as to which committee should investigate is a matter of strong dispute. PM Netanyahu and his partners in the government strongly oppose a state commission of inquiry whose members are nominated by the Chief Supreme Court Justice. They said that they have lost trust in the Supreme Court in general, and the chief justice in particular.
The new chief of staff will have to face now many challenges. He will have to rehabilitate the public trust in an army that failed on October 7th, and will have to deal with the need to draft eligible male Haredi youth, who oppose joining the army, and are strongly supported by their Rabbis and political leaders. He declared that 2025 is a year of war in Gaza and with Iran.
4. Shin Bet Published Its’ Report on October 7th and the Concepts tha Enabled Hamas Invasion
Shin Bet, Israel’s security agency published a report that investigated the decisions and the concepts that eventually enabled the Hamas attack. The report found that PM Netanyahu’s funding of Hamas via Qatar eventually enabled the October 7th attack. It also found that if the Shin Bet would have behaved differently or taken other decisions along the way, this attack would have been prevented. The report found that all the signs were there, but the strong conviction and analysis among top officials at the agency believed that Hamas is deterred, that Hamas has no interest in violent escalation, and that the money that Qatar sent to Hamas is keeping the organization satisfied. All those concepts were found painfully wrong on October 7th.
The political decision makers are satisfied with most of the reports from the Shin Bet and the army, and this reinforces the concept that they strongly hold to, that they are not responsible for anything and that only the professional level is responsible for the failures of October 7. In addition, PM Netanyahu wants to fire the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, and replace him with someone who would be more loyal to Netanyahu. He says that he has lost trust in Bar. Bar also took responsibility for the events and the concepts that enabled October 7th attack, but he has not resigned yet. Lately the Shin Bet opened an investigation based on allegations that close advisors of PM Netanyahu were working with Qatar, to help them to improve their image in the West. If those allegations are true, the Shin Bet fears that the advisors were exposed to confidential material and they may have used it with the Qataris, which places them in a severe conflict of interest.
5. The Judicial Overhaul is Back, Minister of Justice Initiated Process to Remove the Attorney General
Minister of Justice, Yariv Levin, is reviving the judicial overhaul. This process was halted by the October 7th attack and the war that followed. But now, it is back on the table. Earlier this week, Levin announced that he intends to start a process that will remove the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, because, according to him, she jeopardizes every move that the government wants to make, and acts like an opposition to the government and not as a legal adviser.
The tension between the AG and the minister of justice in particular, and the entire government in general, started when this government took power two and a half years ago. Minister of Justice, Levin introduced the judicial overhaul and she has since consistently rejected any attempt to weaken the judicial sector, Banarav-Miara very professionally opposed any attempt to introduced legislation that weakens the checks and balances, and the division of power between the executive, the judicial and the legislative.
It will not be easy for Levin to achieve his aims, Baharave-Maira has two and a half years to the end of her term as attorney general. But the entire government, all the ministers and all members of the coalition constantly attack her, even to her face during government meetings, when she places red lines that limit their power and abuse of power.
Extra - Israeli-Palestinian Documentary Won the Oscar for Best Documentary Film
The documentary film “No Other Land” won the Oscar for best documentary film last Sunday. The film, a joint production of Israeli and Palestinian activists, and film-makers, tells the story of a small Palestinian community in the West Bank, Massfer-Yatta. The community is constantly harassed by the Israeli army and by settlers who live close by. The struggle of the small community of herders who live in caves, is not violent. The Israeli journalist, Yuval Abraham, coupled with Bassel Adra, with Rachel Szor and Hamdan Ballal as film makers and producers documented their friendship and joint struggle with solidarity. The story depicts insights into the ugly and forceful Israeli occupation in the West Bank.
After the Oscar announcememt many Israelis were angry, claiming that the film encourages negative sentiments against Israel. Minister of culture, Miki Zohar was one of the first leaders to attack the film and the film makers, although the film did not get any public money and and Miki Zohar himself has not watched the film.
The film was not screened on any TV channel in Israel and is distributed on YouTube.
