The
Shurat HaDinconference oncombating antisemitismopened Sunday at theMuseum of Jewish Heritage in New York. FormerIDF Chief of Staff Herzi Haleviaddressed the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, describing it as "a failure that could have been prevented" and calling for a thorough examination of what went wrong.Asked about establishing a state commission of inquiry into the failures, Halevi said, "As part of the healing process, Israel must complete its investigation and ask difficult questions."
The conference brought together dozens of pro-Israel organizations, Jewish opinion leaders, American influencers, foreign policy and security experts, international legal scholars, academics and researchers.
Halevi also addressed the IDF's military operations in the Gaza Strip, saying, "Contrary to popular belief, without military pressure in Gaza, we would not have been able to bring the hostages back."
Asked whether "absolute victory" was achievable, he did not directly answer the question, saying instead, "It took us a long time to convince the political echelon to conduct a ground maneuver in Gaza."
The conference, now in its third year in New York, is organized b...