Coalition Bill Drops Call for "Independent" 7.10 Inquiry

A clause calling for a “full, thorough and independent” investigation into the failures surrounding the October 7 massacre has been removed from a Likud bill that would establish a politically appointed inquiry into the attack.

The bill, sponsored by Likud MK Ariel Kallner, passed its preliminary reading in December and is now being prepared in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. The latest draft instead says the commission would be established in a way that addresses the public dispute over who appoints its members, either through consensus or equal representation between coalition and opposition lawmakers.

Kallner told Ynet that the removal of the wording was a “clerical error” and that the words were not intentionally deleted. However, he also said the new language was meant to clarify the bill’s purpose, which he said is to provide an answer to the public controversy over the appointment process. Humanity, having invented both politics and clerical errors, is apparently determined to make them indistinguishable.

The bill is intended to create an inquiry panel chosen through the Knesset rather than a state commission of inquiry, whose members are appointed by the judiciary. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a state commission, arguing that the judiciary is biased against him. Polls have repeatedly shown broad public support for a state commission.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has criticized Kallner’s proposal, saying last year that it appeared “tailor-made” for the government’s personal needs.

The updated draft also bars current and former High Court justices, attorneys general, officers above the rank of major general, Shin Bet chiefs and members of the security cabinet from serving on the proposed commission. Kallner argued Wednesday that those who may need to answer questions about their responsibility for Israel’s security should not sit on the panel investigating those failures.

Justice Ministry officials objected, saying it was unusual to disqualify broad categories of people based on past roles rather than establish positive qualifications for membership. Kallner responded that he would amend the bill again to expand the disqualification to all government ministers.

Committee legal adviser Gur Bligh also criticized the bill for allowing the government, itself one of the bodies likely to be investigated, to define the scope of the inquiry. He warned that excluding senior security and legal officials could deprive the commission of relevant expertise.

Under the proposal, the commission would include six or seven Knesset-appointed members, joined by four supervisory representatives from bereaved families. If a consensus slate fails to win support from 80 MKs, the coalition and opposition would each choose three members, who would then select a chairman.

The High Court has given the government until July 1 to propose a suitable framework for investigating October 7, without yet ordering a state commission of inquiry.