Israeli opposition lawmakers slammed on Wednesday the establishment of a commission of inquiry into October 7 backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with dozens of MPs tearing up the draft bill.
The opposition in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, has been calling for an independent probe into shortcomings in both the lead-up and response to the 2023 Hamas attack, wary that the commission of inquiry would be subject to political influence.
Approved Wednesday in a preliminary reading by 53 votes to 48, the bill must undergo further readings in the Knesset and a final vote before it becomes legislation.
In a stormy debate before the preliminary vote, opposition members shouted “shame”, with some turning their backs to the proceedings.
After the vote, dozens tore up the draft bill, according to footage broadcast by the Knesset’s TV channel.
More than two years after the Hamas attack, which sparked the Gaza war, no national commission of inquiry has been established. Only the army has conducted internal investigations.
“On October 7, 2023, the State of Israel experienced one of the most traumatic and serious national events in its history,” says the draft bill, which mentions “large-scale failures” by state authorities.
The proposed legislation envisages the creation of an “independent investigative body with extensive powers” to carry out an “autonomous and transparent” investigation, whose scope will be defined by the government.
The commission will be composed of “six or seven members”, to be agreed upon by the ruling coalition and opposition parties, and approved by at least 80 of the Knesset’s 120 members.
This departs from the usual procedure under Israeli law, according to which the decision to set up a commission of inquiry lies with the government, but the president of the Supreme Court appoints its members.
However, Netanyahu’s government has accused the court’s president of being biased and hostile, and has refused to let him handle the appointments.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the aim of the proposed commission was “to help the prime minister evade his responsibilities”.
“He was prime minister on October 7 — you can’t run away from that,” he said during the session.
The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people on Israeli soil, according to official figures.
On the same day, 251 people were taken hostage by militants.
In response, Israel launched a major campaign in the Gaza Strip, where more than 70,000 people have been killed over two years.
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© Agence France-Presse
