‘Get out’: Former hostage demands entire Knesset resign over Oct. 7 invasion

Rom Braslavski, one of the last hostages to return home to Israel after being held captive in the Gaza Strip for two years, condemns entire Knesset, calls for all 120 Israeli lawmakers to resign.

By World Israel News Staff

A former Israeli hostage who was held captive in the Gaza Strip for more than two years called on all 120 members of the Knesset to resign Monday, accusing Israel’s political leadership of responsibility for the Oct. 7 massacre and demanding the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry.

“I call on all members of Knesset, all of them without exception — just resign,” former hostage Rom Braslavski said at a Knesset press conference held by the October Council, a group campaigning for a state inquiry into the massacre. “Take responsibility and get out of our lives. The blood of those murdered on Oct. 7 is all on you.”

Braslavski, who survived captivity in Gaza after being kidnapped from the Nova music festival, said lawmakers should create the commission before leaving office.

“And just before you go — appoint the state commission of inquiry that will investigate exactly what happened here so it will not happen again,” he said. “Shame on you. The people of Israel have long since stopped living because you killed them.”

Braslavski said he had visited the Nova festival site two months ago as part of an effort to close a circle and had now found the courage to come to the Knesset.

“At Nova, there were the Nukhba terrorists who did what they did to the people of Israel, and here in the Knesset sit those responsible for it,” he said. “Right here, a meter away from me.”

He also criticized lawmakers and ministers for failing to contact him after his return from captivity.

“Why the hell, even after two years of captivity, did none of you come to congratulate me on my return, apologize for what happened to me and say, ‘I’m sorry this happened, I’m sorry it took us two years to bring you back, this is my aide’s phone number — we will help you with anything you need’?” he said.

“Why did none of you do that? Why do I have to run to committees and fight over whether I am a 50% or 100% disabled IDF veteran?”

The press conference was also attended by bereaved families demanding accountability from the government.

Eyal Eshel, the father of fallen surveillance soldier Roni Eshel, who was killed at the Nahal Oz outpost on Oct. 7, accused ministers and coalition lawmakers of blaming bereaved families instead of taking responsibility.

“You will not hear responsibility there for the greatest massacre, you will not hear a single request for forgiveness or the term soul-searching,” Eshel said. “What will you hear? Us being accused, the bereaved families.”

Eshel said Israel’s leaders continued to divide the public rather than confront the failures that led to the massacre.

“There is no miracle here. There is a wounded and above all bleeding country here,” he said. “There is a broken public, violence in the streets, hatred seeping into every corner of the State of Israel. And the leadership continues to incite, divide and blame everyone except itself.”

Michel Ilouz, the father of hostage victim Guy Ilouz, criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over comments he made in an interview with CBS about responsibility for events after Oct. 7.

“My son was kidnapped alive and murdered in Hamas captivity,” Ilouz said. “Are you willing to take responsibility for that? Are you admitting that his murder is your direct responsibility?”

Ilouz said the government had refused accountability.

“This government fled from responsibility, from the truth, from the families, from a state commission of inquiry,” he said. “It opened seven fronts and did not bother to close even one. The bodies continue to pile up, and they do not care.”