The government decided to establish an independent ministerial committee to investigate the handling of the October 7 massacre in 2023, following a High Court order to discuss the matter during the Sunday weekly government meeting.
A typical state commission of inquiry would entail a probe that operates without the political echelon, with members appointed by the Supreme Court. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the probe to be made up of a different committee, amid the ongoing split between the government and judiciary in the country.
As part of the government’s decision, Netanyahu will reportedly establish a special ministerial committee to conduct the investigation, which will have full investigative powers.
This government-run committee will reportedly be responsible for formulating and determining which issues it will investigate and which time periods will be examined.
The ministerial committee was given 45 days to submit its recommendations to the government, according to KAN News.
Political echelon blocks state inquiry into October 7 massacre
On October 15, the High Court instructed the government to provide an update within 30 days regarding the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the events of the October 7 massacre.
In the judges' decision, it was written that there is no real dispute about the need to establish the state probe.
An inquiry into the events surrounding October 7 has repeatedly been blocked by the political echelon despite polls showing huge public support for this type of investigation, which has been pushed by victims of the attacks and their families.
The government's decision to form the independent committee to conduct the probe received sharp criticism due to claims that it could lead to a conflict of interest in the investigation.
The Movement for Quality Government called the decision “a transparent attempt to evade a real and independent investigation into the greatest failure in the country’s history.”
“The Supreme Court clearly ruled that there is no real dispute regarding the need to establish a state commission with broad investigative powers, but the government is ignoring that ruling and creating a committee that will investigate itself. This is not an inquiry committee; it is a whitewash committee."
The Brothers and Sisters in Arms movement said the “government’s decision to establish a non-state committee to investigate the failures of October 7 is a cynical move whose sole purpose is to save Netanyahu from personal responsibility for the massacre.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) said that "the government is doing everything it can to run from the truth and evade responsibility.”
"There is broad public support for a state commission of inquiry. That is what the country needs, that is what the public demands, and that is what will happen."
"Their refusal to investigate their failures endangers the security of the state and is an insult and an evasion of responsibility toward the soldiers and the families who have sacrificed so much since October 7," Lapid added.
The Democrats Party chairperson, Yair Golan, responded that "someone under investigation does not appoint his own investigators."
"October 7 will be investigated by a state commission of inquiry. That is a promise," he added.
Former chief of staff Gadi Esienkot (Yashar!) called the government committee "unacceptable" due to a conflict of interest.
"Clearly everything stems from fear and hysteria over the results of a real independent investigation," he continued.
The October Council, made up of hundreds of families affected by the Hamas attacks, demanded ahead of the meeting that the government decide to conduct a state probe, calling any other outcome of the meeting a "war on the future of the State of Israel."
The October Council further warned Netanyahu and ministers ahead of the meeting that “any attempt to bypass the law with a government-appointed committee, a committee whose purpose is to whitewash rather than investigate, is a direct affront to the bereaved families, to the soldiers, to the citizens of Israel, and to the foundations of the state."
“The prime minister’s announcement about forming an alternative committee is not a solution, but a transparent attempt to run away from the truth. We will not allow it."
"If you try to evade a genuine investigation, the bereaved families and the entire people of Israel will pursue you publicly and confront you in every arena until a full, independent, and lawful state commission of inquiry is established," the October Council added.
The government decision follows Netanyahu expressing his opposition to Israel’s current method of forming a state commission of inquiry last week during a Knesset discussion on the matter.
“The question is not only what we investigate, the crucial question is who investigates the truth,” Netanyahu said.
“We want to establish an inquiry committee on October 7 that will be balanced and that will earn the broadest possible public trust,” Netanyahu said, calling for a different body to head the commission of inquiry.