DAY 571 OF THE WAR: Israel Observes Memorial Day, October Council Urges Commission of Inquiry, Public Sentiment After a Year and Half of War

Tel Aviv Diary, April 29, 2025

As I finish tonight’s update, the sun is setting and Israel’s Memorial Day will begin. For most Israelis, this is the most sacred day of the year—a solemn moment set aside to remember the truly heavy cost of our independence. Across the country, citizens honor the 25,418 soldiers who fell in Israel’s wars and the more than 5,229 civilians killed in terror attacks.

Shops are closing, restaurants are shuttering, and bars and cafés are going dark. At exactly 8:00 p.m., a siren pierces the air—not the wailing rise and fall of a missile alert, but a single, constant, steady tone lasting for one minute, commanding stillness, silence, and reflection.

This year’s Memorial Day feels different. No one in Israel needs a reminder of the price we have paid to remain free. We have just lived through a year and a half of relentless sorrow, each day bringing new reminders of the heart-wrenching sacrifice. It has been a year and a half marked by an unceasing stream of hutar le’pirsum notices—solemn announcements of soldiers fallen in battle and hostages whose deaths have only now come to light. A year and a half of heartbreak, tragedy, and loss that seems to have no end

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It has become accepted wisdom that nearly every Israeli is grappling with some degree of PTSD, an assessment that feels heartbreakingly accurate. Life goes on—people marry, celebrate births, and mark milestones—but the national mood remains somber, heavy. How could it be otherwise, when we are again and again faced with the stories of young lives ended too soon—some who will never know the joy of building a family, and others who leave behind small children whose memories will be shaped by their absence.

A year ago, few could have imagined that the war in Gaza would still be going on. Yet here we are—another Memorial Day marked not only by grief, but by deep frustration and fatigue. Public support for the continuation of this war has declined sharply, nevertheless, the fighting drags on.

The families of the fallen—those who have paid the ultimate price—still await answers. Their calls for a National Commission of Inquiry have been repeatedly blocked by the government, leaving their pain unacknowledged at the highest levels.

This Memorial Day is not just a day of remembrance—it is a mirror reflecting the national trauma we all carry. It offers a moment of silence in a country overwhelmed by the noise of war, sirens, politics, and unhealed grief. Tonight, Israel mourns not only those lost in the past, but the lives that continue to be lost in the present.

OCTOBER COUNCIL STATEMENT

Today, hundreds of bereaved families, together with other members of the October Council, issued a joint statement:

We categorically reject the partial military investigations and demand the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to provide real answers.

Families deserve answers. A second Memorial Day without answers, 571 days without rest — we will fight until a state commission of inquiry is established to investigate everything and everyone and prevent the next disaster.

The October Council’s statement also addressed the IDF’s investigations into the October 7th attacks:

They are no substitute for a true investigation. We are witnessing one of the most sensitive issues in Israel’s history turning into a political battleground. There is grave concern that any future state commission of inquiry will be severely compromised.

We categorically reject these investigations, the families wrote, and demand the establishment of an independent and impartial state commission of inquiry that will thoroughly investigate all failures and help prevent another disaster.

The families emphasized that their demand is neither political nor partisan, but stems from a deep moral and national obligation—rooted in their commitment to Israel’s security and profound love for the IDF and the State of Israel, stating:

Without a comprehensive investigation, we will not be able to understand the source of the failures, nor will we be able to prevent their recurrence.

The October Council’s letter concludes with a painful but hopeful note:

We, the bereaved families, hostages, and survivors of the October Council, will stand together until a commission of inquiry is established that will expose the full truth.

Among the hundreds of signatories are bereaved families, former hostages, survivors of the massacre, and families of hostages, including relatives of those involved in the Nova party, Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Kisufim, Ein Hashlosha, Kerem Shalom, Nahal Oz, Mefalsim, Nir Oz, the Nahal Oz post, the Sufa post, Kibbutz Holit, Sderot, Ofakim, and others.

In a further statement released this morning addressed to Prime Minister Netanyahu and members of the government, the October Council added:

On this Memorial Day, in our most painful hour, we expect you to bow your heads with us. But not with an empty gesture — rather with true humility.

Bowing your heads should bring truth, responsibility, and security. It must start with taking responsibility and establishing a state commission of inquiry.

571 days and nights without answers have not allowed us, the families, to begin the journey of healing and recovery.

In most years, Memorial Day offers a moment of national reconciliation. This year, that sense of unity feels achingly distant. I can only hope that by next year, we will know a measure of peace (or at least quiet)—and that the nation’s wounds will begin, however slowly, to heal. The personal wounds, carried by so many, will remain forever.

SARA NETANYAHU’S COMMENT DEEPENS PAIN FOR FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES

Today, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed those who will light the Independence Day torches tomorrow night, emphasizing the importance of bringing home the 24 hostages still believed to be alive. Siting beside him, his wife, Sara, made a comment—loud enough to be heard—suggesting the number is less than 24. Her remark rubbed salt into the wounds of the families of the hostages—who were left to hear this secondhand, and without official confirmation, that their loved ones may no longer be alive. A video documenting Sara’s side comment was publicly released by the Prime Minister’s press office. This was an inexcusable lapse.

THE GOVERNMENT AND SHIN BET CHIEF RONEN BAR

Last night, as I wrote, Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet, announced that he would leave his job on June 15th. The initial response by the Netanyahu government was anger: how dare he stay until June 15th when he was already fired? After a few hours, however, the government changed its tune, and today voted to rescind Bar’s dismissal. The government understood that the Supreme Court would likely rule against it and possibly limit the coalition’s powers to fire the head of the Shin Bet. The government has now requested that the Supreme Court dismiss the case as it says it’s not relevant.

SLIGHT RISE IN ISRAELI PUBLIC OPTIMISM, DESPITE LINGERING PESSIMISM

A new survey by the Israel Democracy Institute found a slight rise in public optimism across four national mood indicators during April, although pessimists still outnumber optimists in every category. Notably, optimism about the economic future rose by six percentage points to 31%, while optimism about social cohesion increased from 22% to 26%. Smaller gains were recorded in expectations for the security situation and democratic governance. Interestingly, while Jewish respondents remain more optimistic than Arab citizens regarding security and the economy, Arab respondents expressed greater optimism about the future of democratic governance (49% compared to 39%) and social cohesion (36% compared to 24%).

The survey also assessed public trust in national leaders. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir received the highest performance rating, followed by President Isaac Herzog and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The Police Commissioner received the lowest ratings overall, although his support was notably stronger among those identifying with the political Right. A majority of respondents on the Left and Center expressed pessimism about the prospects of a hostage release deal, while two-thirds of Arab respondents remained optimistic. Opinions were sharply divided over the controversy involving the Air Force Commander’s suspension of pilots who signed a protest letter, with Left and Center voters critical of the action and Right-leaning voters largely supportive.

Regarding political activism by soldiers, a slim majority of Jewish respondents said it was inappropriate for reservists on active duty to participate in demonstrations or sign political petitions, while a majority of Arab respondents held the opposite view. The Israeli public is also divided on whether former U.S. President Donald Trump would prioritize Israel’s security in future negotiations with Iran. On the issue of military action, more than half of Jewish respondents support an Israeli strike on Iran without U.S. backing, while a large majority of Arab citizens oppose such a move.

Finally, as Israel marks Memorial Day and Independence Day, the survey found that most Jewish citizens still support keeping the two dates close together, though a significant minority would prefer they be separated. About half of the public believes that Israel’s achievements outweigh its setbacks, although that percentage has declined in comparison to previous years. Reflecting the weight of historical memory, a slim Jewish majority continues to view the comparison between the Holocaust and the events of October 7 as valid—a view shared by only a small minority of Arab respondents.

(Source: The Israel Democracy Institute, April 2025 Survey)

I’ll share additional findings from the Israel Democracy Institute’s April 2025 survey tomorrow.

A WORTHWHILE READ

“Why does antisemitism persist? Because the world wants it to. Societies continually want a scapegoat, and Jews have remained the ideal target.” By Clive Gillinson

This Week's Radio Show

BUSINESS

Lightrun

As enterprises race to keep pace with the explosive demands of software delivery in the GenAI era, Israeli startup Lightrun is betting that the future of the industry lies not just in observing software, but in fixing it automatically. The Tel Aviv-based company announced Monday that it has secured $70 million in Series-B funding, led by Accel and Insight Partners, with participation from Citi, Glilot Capital, GTM Capital, and Sorenson Capital. This latest round brings Lightrun’s total funding to $110 million and signals a pivotal shift as the company expands from traditional observability into the emerging field of autonomous remediation.

Lightrun’s platform, which currently employs around 80 people—60 of them in Israel and the rest in New York—uses AI to detect, diagnose, and suggest real-time code fixes, aiming to turn production incidents from prolonged emergencies into minute-long events. “In 2024, dramatic shifts in the software development lifecycle — from AI-driven code generation to increased demands for operational resilience — have made production systems more vulnerable,” said CEO Ilan Peleg. “Our goal is to ensure that once code reaches production, teams can move fast and stay reliable. As autonomous software development becomes reality, we see the next frontier in autonomous remediation — software that can fix itself.”

LayerX

As generative AI risks, SaaS sprawl, and web-borne threats reshape the cybersecurity landscape, Israeli company LayerX is positioning the browser—not the network—as the next front line. The Tel Aviv-based startup announced it has raised an additional $11 million in an extension of its Series-A round, bringing total funding to $45 million. Led by Jump Capital with participation from Glilot Capital Partners and Dell Technologies Capital, the funding will fuel LayerX’s expansion into the emerging Secure Enterprise Browser (SEB) market, a category gaining traction as organizations seek to secure user activity at the browser level.

Founded in 2022 by Or Eshed and David Weisbrot, veterans of military cyber defense, LayerX takes a lighter-touch approach than competitors by installing as an extension on browsers like Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox rather than replacing them entirely. The platform offers real-time protection for SaaS applications, GenAI tools, data leakage prevention, and insider threats—all without disrupting user workflows. “Enterprises today face a stark choice,” said CEO Or Eshed. “They can either accept the cost and friction of traditional security models or force users onto unfamiliar work browsers. We offer a third way.” With its workforce expanding from 30 to 75 employees over the past year, LayerX is entering a market that Gartner recently highlighted as one of cybersecurity’s fastest-growing sectors.

Nyx Security

Cloud security company Upwind has acquired Nyx Security, a Tel Aviv-based startup specializing in real-time application security. Although the companies did not disclose the acquisition price, it is estimated at between $8 million and $10 million. Nyx, which had not raised external funding and employed fewer than ten people, was founded about a year ago by cybersecurity experts Gili Yankovich and Alon Saban. Its technology enables the detection of behavioral anomalies at the application runtime layer, offering immediate threat identification across applications, infrastructure, and cloud environments. With the acquisition, the entire Nyx team will join Upwind, expanding its development capabilities in runtime detection, eBPF technology, and application-layer visibility

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Founded in 2022 by Amiram Shachar and his partners from Spot.io, Upwind has quickly established itself as a major player in cloud workload protection, serving dozens of Fortune 500 companies including Agoda, Bill, and Boomi. The company has raised $180 million from investors such as Cyberstarts, Greylock, TCV, and others, and employs around 170 people globally. By integrating Nyx’s technology, Upwind aims to offer broader real-time protection for cloud workloads and applications, enhancing its platform’s ability to secure both infrastructure and application layers without adding operational complexity for customers.

ISRAELTECH INTERVIEW WITH ILLUMEX FOUNDER

Is your business ready for the AI revolution? Is Israel Missing the AI Train—Or Secretly Building the Future? Should Israel go all in on foundational AI models—or focus on becoming the world’s best in applied AI?

IsraelTech sat down with Inna Tokarev Sela, founder and CEO of illumex.ai, in the heart of Tel Aviv to talk about why most enterprise decisions still aren’t based on data —and how that’s finally about to change.

From building her career at SAP and Sisense to launching illumex and pioneering the “Generative Semantic Fabric,” Inna shares what no one else is saying about enterprise AI adoption, governance, and what the West (including Israel) must do to stay in the AI game.

Discussed in the interview:

• Why the AI gold rush is missing the point

• The surprising statistic Fortune 500 execs don’t want you to hear

• Whether solo founders can outplay founding teams

• What it’ll take for Israel to close the gap on Gen AI

Inna doesn’t hold back - and neither does IsraelTech.

You can listen to an excerpt of the interview here

Or view the entire interview on YouTube Here