Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under growing pressure after forcefully rejecting calls for a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas-led October 7 attacks. In a heated meeting with reserve soldiers at the Tzeelim base, Netanyahu insisted that “half the nation” opposes such a probe, despite polls showing that 75% of Israelis support a formal investigation.
Raising his voice and banging the table, Netanyahu claimed, “You think someone here really knows what happened? Each time I discover interesting things.” Yet, critics argue his real motive is to avoid the sweeping powers of a state commission, which could subpoena witnesses and potentially implicate him in the security failures leading up to the deadly assault that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 abducted to Gaza.
Instead, Netanyahu floated alternatives: a politically balanced panel with equal government and opposition members or a committee formed by an 80-member Knesset supermajority. Both models would give his coalition more control and weaken the commission’s authority compared to a state body headed by a Supreme Court justice.
The government has so far stalled on forming any official inquiry, even as Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara urged for a full state commission to reassure international bodies like the ICC. Netanyahu’s critics warn that his maneuvers risk undermining public trust and delaying accountability nearly 19 months after the attack.
Israel has a history of state probes into military failures, including after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. But with Netanyahu resisting such a move, the nation remains locked in political gridlock over how — and whether — to confront the truth about October 7.