Latest / Israel Today: Ongoing War Report / October 7th Anniversary: Accountability and Iran Threat

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October 7th Anniversary: Accountability and Iran Threat · Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

• 0:08
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Israel Today ongoing war report. I'm Noah Levi.
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  Speaker 1: Today marks the third anniversary of the October 7th Hamas massacre.
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  Speaker 1: The nation is observing solemn commemorations across approximately 400 locations,
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  Speaker 1: with events ranging from official memorials to survivor testimonies. In
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  Speaker 1: Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park, bereaved families organised the main national ceremony.
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  Speaker 1: Events at specific sites like near Oz, the Nova Festival
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  Speaker 1: massacre site, and Nahal Oz honoured the fallen, with poignant
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  Speaker 1: accounts from victims' families. President Isaac Herzog participated in memorial
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  Speaker 1: candle lighting and visited remembrance exhibitions, emphasising resilience with a message.
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  Speaker 1: We will dance again, we will live again. This sombre
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  Speaker 1: anniversary is also fuelling intense political debate. Opposition leaders Gadi
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  Speaker 1: Eisenkot and Yair Lapid are calling for a criminal investigation,
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  Speaker 1: and a state commission of inquiry, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin
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  Speaker 1: Netanyahu of evading responsibility and ignoring pre-war warnings. Isenkot, a
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  Speaker 1: former IDF chief of staff, directly called the Prime Minister
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  Speaker 1: a liar. In response, the Likud party denounced media coverage,
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  Speaker 1: particularly from Channel 12, as false political propaganda, aimed at
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  Speaker 1: destabilising the government, asserting that Netanyahu did not receive advance
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  Speaker 1: warnings and citing intelligence reports suggesting Hamas was deterred. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee met to discuss
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  Speaker 1: significant delays in implementing legislation to prosecute perpetrators of the
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  Speaker 1: October 7th attacks. While a law was passed and a
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  Speaker 1: budget approved, initial indictments could be pushed back to 2028,
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  Speaker 1: though lawmakers are pushing for acceleration. The IDF has also
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  Speaker 1: acknowledged a recent halt in proactive arrests of draft evaders,
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  Speaker 1: stating enforcement efforts were focused on border crossings during the
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  Speaker 1: high holidays. Amidst the commemorations, discussions around accusations against Israel continue.
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  Speaker 1: New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani drew sharp rebukes from
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  Speaker 1: Israeli diplomats for his October 7th anniversary statement, which critics
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  Speaker 1: argue devoted minimal attention to victims before focusing on Israeli genocide.
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  Speaker 1: This contrasts with his 9-11 memorial speech, and some note
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  Speaker 1: his citing of Gaza death tolls without distinguishing between civilians
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  Speaker 1: and combatants. Separately, an open letter released by the Jewish
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  Speaker 1: Institute for National Security of America, JINSA, featured 75 retired
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  Speaker 1: senior military officers and legal experts. They stated that Israel's
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  Speaker 1: campaign in Gaza does not constitute genocide, citing extensive IDF
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  Speaker 1: efforts to protect civilians and arguing that such allegations fail
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  Speaker 1: to meet established legal standards. They pointed to evacuation routes,
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  Speaker 1: warnings and legal reviews of targets as evidence against genocidal intent,
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  Speaker 1: while also disputing Hamas's casualty figures for their lack of
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  Speaker 1: distinction between combatants and civilians. In the UK, controversy has
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  Speaker 1: emerged around Green Party leader Zak Polanski, whose claims that
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  Speaker 1: his Jewish ancestors fled the Nazis are reportedly challenged by
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  Speaker 1: historical records, indicating his family settled in Britain decades before
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  Speaker 1: World War II. This comes after his party passed a
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  Speaker 1: motion labelling Zionism a form of racism. On the regional front,
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  Speaker 1: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned an Israeli delegation visiting Kyiv
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  Speaker 1: about the growing threat posed by joint Iranian-Russian military cooperation.
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  Speaker 1: Zelensky noted that drones Iran is developing together with Russia,
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  Speaker 1: combined with the operational experience the two countries are gaining,
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  Speaker 1: could eventually become a direct threat to Israel. He highlighted
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  Speaker 1: that Iranian and Russian facilities are operating jointly inside Russia. Separately,
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  Speaker 1: Hezbollah has claimed it received $ 200 million from Iran to
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  Speaker 1: support 50,000 displaced Lebanese families. However, the US has disputed
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  Speaker 1: this claim, suggesting the group is trying to save face.
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  Speaker 1: In more positive news, the House of Heroes programme, founded
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  Speaker 1: by Sagi Dove, is utilising MMA and sparring techniques to
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  Speaker 1: help rehabilitate 26,200 soldiers who have been scarred in body
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  Speaker 1: and mind since October 7, offering them a path toward recovery.
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: For continuing coverage of antisemitism around the world, listen to
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: Antisemitism Watch from Clockwork Media. Find it at clockworkmedia.org slash watch.
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  Speaker 1: I'm Noah Levi, thank you for listening to Israel Today
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: Ongoing War Report. Stay safe and informed. Follow Israel Today
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  Speaker 1: miss the next update. Keep in mind that this AI-generated
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for
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  Speaker 1: a comprehensive view. Thank you.