Bill submitted to force gov't into war inquiry

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
MK Yitzhak Levy submitted a bill Sunday that would allow the Knesset to force the government to establish an inquiry into the war in the North. A simple majority of 61 MKs could vote in favor of establishing a state inquiry into the war according to Levy's bill. Currently, only the cabinet or the prime minister can establish a state inquiry. Levy is the second member of the National-Union-National Religious Party to take parliamentary steps to force the government to establish the inquiry. Last week, MK Arye Eldad presented a bill which would force the government to establish an inquiry due to the "widespread public pressure to do so." Meanwhile, Likud MK Silvan Shalom has begun to collect the signatures of lawmakers who support a state inquiry commission in order to increase "popular pressure" on the government. Both those bills, however, will have to wait over a month before beginning the process of becoming laws in the Knesset. The parliament is currently on its summer recess and will not be returning until the end of October. New bills can only pass preliminary readings and votes while the Knesset is in session.