Israeli coalition downs proposal to form commission to probe October 7
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The Israeli occupation's coalition government votes against a draft proposal to form a commission to investigate "Israel's" October 7 fiasco.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in the prime minister's office in al-Quds, February 19, 2023. (AP)
The Israeli government coalition on Wednesday rejected a proposal in the Knesset to establish an "official" inquiry committee into the failures of October 7, 2023, according to Israeli media reports.
Out of the 120 Knesset members, 51 voted against the proposal, while 43 supported it. The vote reflected the presence of those members who attended the session.
During the session, opposition leader Benny Gantz, head of the National Unity party, criticized the Israeli government, stating, "Israelis see your hypocrisy." Gantz accused the government of attempting "two dangerous actions: evading responsibility and eroding trust in the rule of law systems," as quoted by the Israeli Walla news outlet.
Following the coalition's rejection of the proposal, the Supreme Court, the Israeli occupation's highest judicial authority, ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to inform it within 60 days whether it intends to discuss forming an official inquiry committee.
The vote coincided with Netanyahu’s appearance at Tel Aviv’s central court for the second day of testimony in his ongoing corruption trial.
Last week, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara urged the government to promptly decide on forming an official committee to investigate the October 7 events. President Isaac Herzog also called for an "official" inquiry, describing it as "the only way to restore trust."
On December 2, Netanyahu informed the Supreme Court that it did not have the authority to mandate the formation of an official inquiry committee.
The opposition has been pushing for an "official" inquiry, which would have binding decisions, full access to files, and the authority to investigate all individuals connected to the case. In contrast, Netanyahu and his party favor a "political" committee, whose decisions are non-binding and lack the same investigative powers.
Netanyahu dodging official probe
In late November, Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom quoted senior officials from the Israeli military as saying that there has been a significant delay in presenting the findings of the investigations into the events of October 7, 2023.
They emphasized that this delay persists although many of the investigations are already completed and have been submitted to lower-level officials, with some ready to be presented to the Israeli chief of staff.
The newspaper reported that "the Israeli army's official stance justifies the delay by citing the tense operational conditions in the North in recent months, referring specifically to the ongoing conflict in Lebanon."
Amid this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is advocating for the creation of a private committee of inquiry into the failures of October 7, "to prevent the formation of an official state commission of inquiry," according to Israel Hayom.
