Netanyahu rejects ‘politically biased’ commission of inquiry as bereaved families scuffle with Knesset guards

Pressed by lawmakers to explain why no state commission of inquiry has been established into the failures of October 7 after 17 months Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he opposed a “politically biased” panel.

His remarks were marred by scuffles that broke out between bereaved families and Knesset guards.

“We demand the establishment of an objective, balanced investigation committee – not politically biased, whose conclusions are already known in advance,” Netanyahu said.

“And not one variety or a narrow range of opinions – where everyone is concentrated at one end of the political spectrum. Do you think we are children? Real, objective, not biased. That’s what we want. The public demands truth – we demand truth. We want a committee that will investigate everything in an unbiased way, and that’s how it will be.”

He was addressing the Knesset plenum after opposition lawmakers collected 40 signatures, requiring the Prime Minister’s appearance.

There was mayhem in the visitor’s gallery beforehand when guards initially refused to allow bereaved families to attend. Knesset guards limited the number of visitors in the gallery at any given time to 15, sparking outrage among the families prevented from entering.

“We will not make a selection, there is no bereaved family here that is more important than another,” they told the guards. Scuffles broke out and after about an hour, the guards relented and allowed the families to attend. The families then turned their backs on Netanyahu when he started to speak.

There have been growing calls for the government to appoint an independent commission of inquiry to investigate political and military failures. Such commissions have broader authority to summon witnesses and collect evidence and are headed by a senior Supreme Court justice. They may include personal recommendations about individuals under investigation, though the government is not bound to act on them.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government ministers say a state inquiry into failings that led to Hamas’s October 7 attacks should only be held after the war. Critics accuse Netanyahu of delaying the inquiry and trying to water down the powers of a commission.

A Knesset Committee Could Trigger Inquiry

Earlier in the day, Israeli State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman panned the Israel Defense Forces’ internal probes into the failures of October 7, telling Knesset lawmakers on Monday that the army’s findings “do not present the full picture.”

The comptroller, also known as the state ombudsman, periodically releases reports auditing Israeli preparedness and the effectiveness of government policies.

Englman, who was addressing the Knesset State Control Committee, said he plans on issuing his own report that will facilitate the committee to establish a state commission of inquiry. The committee is responsible for overseeing government activities to ensure accountability, transparency, and efficiency and works closely with the State Comptroller.

“Naturally these are military investigations,” said Englman, which are limited to operational and intelligence shortcomings and “do not present the full picture of the failures of October 7″ by also probing the political leadership.

Such commissions are typically established by the government. However, the State Control Committee also has the authority to establish a full commission of inquiry after receiving a report by the State Comptroller.

Englman told lawmakers he plans to issue a “sharp critique” assigning personal responsibility for shortcomings and failures across political, military, and civilian levels.

He also said that his own report was delayed by opposition from the army and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), citing a June 2024 court order suspending parts of his probe.

After the Movement for Quality Government in Israel petitioned the High Court of Justice to order the government to form such a commission, the justices gave the government a deadline of May 11 to update the justices on its position.

The last state commission of inquiry, which investigated Israel’s worst civilian disaster — a stampede that killed 45 people at a holy site on Mount Meron — held Netanyahu personally responsible for the tragedy in a report released in April.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead.