Jerusalem, 23 December (H.S.): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday welcomed the Ministerial Committee for Legislation's approval of a bill to launch a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, pledging its independence from political interference despite widespread skepticism.
The panel, which Netanyahu described as balanced and expert-led, aims to scrutinize the assault that killed 1,221 people—mostly civilians—and the systemic failures preceding it, according to official tallies.
Netanyahu emphasized in a video statement that no politicians would sit on the commission, with its makeup split equally between coalition and opposition appointees to foster public trust. Experts in security, academia, and law, alongside bereaved parents as observers, would compose the body, whose mandate and scope the government would define—a practice he deemed standard.
He committed to personal scrutiny under the probe, countering accusations of evasion amid his refusal to accept prior responsibility for intelligence lapses.
More than 70 percent of Israelis favor a fully independent state commission, akin to the post-1973 Yom Kippur War inquiry that prompted Prime Minister Golda Meir's resignation, recent polls reveal. Protests and surveys, including one showing 79 percent support even among coalition voters, underscore demands for Supreme Court president-appointed members over government control.
Critics, including victims' families and retired military leaders, view the setup as a whitewash, especially as Netanyahu will lead a ministerial team shaping its parameters when it convenes Monday.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the initiative at the Knesset as a death certificate for the truth, arguing it grants the government veto power over witnesses, hearings, and agenda. This right-wing coalition's bill, advancing to a parliamentary vote for finalization, bypasses judicial oversight amid longstanding accusations of court bias.
Netanyahu's move follows a year of resistance, including military sackings of generals for October 7 failures, yet falls short of the autonomous probe demanded by much of the public and security establishment.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
