October 7 Investigation: Knesset Advances Political Inquiry Bill

The investigation into the October 7 Hamas attack and the events leading up to it could be conducted by a politically appointed commission under legislation that passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset. The bill was approved by 59 members of the ruling coalition, while opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote. The measure advanced after ultra-Orthodox parties received assurances regarding separate legislation on military service exemptions for yeshiva students in exchange for their support.

Under the proposal, the commission would consist of six Israeli citizens. The Speaker of the Knesset would nominate the candidates, who would then require the approval of at least 80 lawmakers. The bill also allows the commission to begin operating once at least three members have been confirmed, enabling it to function even if opposition-backed nominees are not appointed.

The government says the proposed commission would provide a parliamentary framework for investigating the events of October 7 and the war that followed. Critics argue that a state commission of inquiry—traditionally headed by retired judges and regarded as independent—is better suited to conduct such an investigation.

Opposition leaders strongly condemned the initiative. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the bill “an attempt to cover up the investigation into the greatest disaster to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” while Avigdor Lieberman described the proposed body as “a commission for concealing the truth.”

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