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Monday, March 3, 2025
After PM rejects state commission, Sa’ar’s party reiterates support for such a probe
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
After Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected the establishment of a court-appointed state commission of inquiry into the events surrounding October 7, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party reiterates its support for such a probe.
In a statement, the right wing party says that a state commission of inquiry is “the right tool for investigating the events of October 7 and what led to them.”
It adds that during a recent cabinet meeting on the subject, Sa’ar proposed amending the law to allow the government to appoint the head of a state commission of inquiry from among the ranks of current and former presidents and vice presidents of the Supreme Court.
He argued this would maintain the commission’s independence from the government, while increasing flexibility in terms of who runs the probe, “which will increase the general public’s trust in the commission that will be established.”
State commissions of inquiry are appointed by the Supreme Court president and typically headed by a retired Supreme Court justice. Esther Hayut would be a potential choice for that role, given that she just recently finished her tenure as president of the top court. However, Netanyahu is reportedly vehemently opposed to her appointment, given her outspoken criticism of his government’s effort to radically overhaul the judiciary in 2023.
Last week, Likud MK Ariel Kallner presented a proposal for an alternative investigatory body whose members would be appointed by the Knesset. Critics say this would ensure its politicization.
The Times of Israel Community.