Some of the names - or alleged signatories - in an advertisement issued by the right-wing organization 'Law and Justice Forum of Bereaved Families' were included without the consent or knowledge of the supposed signatories.
The advertisement called for the establishment of an external body to investigate the failures of the events of October 7. However, some of the names of family members of the bereaved were included even though they were publicly advocating for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry.
"What happened today is a disgrace," wrote Eyal Eshel, a bereaved father, on his X/Twitter account regarding the incident. "The cynical use of bereaved families, against their will, is the lowest point that could be reached. Our response to this disgrace is to continue participating in the struggle of the October Council families for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry."
Dasi, the mother of Aviad Halevi, whose name was mentioned in the statement without her approval, does not have an X account. A message was conveyed on her behalf in which she called the incident an "indescribable disgrace."
"I demand, from every possible platform, together with the October Council families, a state commission of inquiry as defined by law. I demand that you do not use my name or my son’s name for a campaign that is all about escaping responsibility."
Sigal, who lost her two daughters, Norelle & Roya Manzuri, stated, "I ask you to remove my daughters’ names from the forum, the opinions of which I do not agree with. I request my daughters' names never be mentioned by Victor Shriki and the Law and Justice Forum. You have stooped so low that my daughters' names are listed under another mother’s name. I continue to demand a state commission of inquiry."
Her husband Menashe told Ynet, "No one contacted me."
"My daughters' names have been desecrated. I'm not willing for anyone or any forum to talk about them without my consent. That no one should talk about them and bring them into political matters," he added.
"I lost my only son at Nova [Supernova music festival]," stated the mother of Bar Lior. "Since the horrific disaster, my life has been turned upside down. You mentioned my name without my permission. I call for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry. I demand that you do not use my name for political purposes. The pain is already unbearable—there is no need to add to it unnecessarily. I repeat my demand: a state commission of inquiry, now."
Amos Baram, the father of Ilai Baram, also expressed his outrage, "You used my name and my son’s name without my permission. This is a heinous act that is beyond forgiveness, especially given that I explicitly call for a state commission of inquiry as defined by law. I demand that you remove my name and the names of other families from your campaign, as you did not receive their consent. You are bloodthirsty criminals exploiting bereaved families."
Anat Ben Ami, Shani Ben Ami's mother, stated, "You are using my name, my husband’s name, but above all, my daughter Shani’s name without permission. I demand a state commission of inquiry. You are exploiting the grief of bereaved families who are not part of your disgraceful and delusional campaign. A state commission of inquiry, now."
Who is Viktor Shriki?
According to Israeli media, Victor Shriki is a Likud activist who presents himself as an advertiser and owner of a marketing company.
The ad - which Ynet said was deleted after the news outlet published it - read, "We oppose the establishment of a state commission. We demand an independent commission of inquiry with real powers, which will allow us to reach the truth and justice for our loved ones. We expect those responsible to pay for their actions. The conclusions of a state commission of inquiry are recommendations."
Ynet added that, after the uproar, the Forum issued a "clarification and apology," saying, "We would like to express our sincere apologies to the families whose names were included in an ad that was published without their knowledge or consent. This is a draft of an ad that was not approved for publication by the forum's management or by all the families and was mistakenly uploaded to the social media account of Mr. Victor Shriki, who works with the forum and owns an advertising company."
"Upon identification of the error, the ad was immediately removed," the statement said.
"The ad was intended to be submitted to the families for approval beforehand and will be done so in the future," it continued.
The statement added that "all the people whose names appeared in the ad were participants in the forum's internal correspondence and expressed similar positions along the way. At the same time, we respect any family that wishes to withdraw or object to the publication and remind everyone that everyone is free to withdraw at any stage. We take full responsibility for the incident, support all families wherever they are, and continue to act out of respect for the memory of the murdered and the pain of their loved ones."