Motion calling to establish state commission of inquiry into Oct. 7 is rejected 43-51

A motion submitted by the National Unity party requiring the Knesset to hold a plenum discussion on establishing a state commission of inquiry into Hamas’ October 7 attack is rejected 43-51 and is removed from the parliamentary agenda.

Arguing in favor of the resolution, National Unity chairman Benny Gantz accuses members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition of “trying to cover up in order to evade responsibility” and “selling the security of the state for political needs.”

“Our people are not stupid, they understand exactly what you are trying to do. It will not help you,” he continues. “We see that you are ready to dismantle Israeli society, because of the lust for power.”

“The massacre cannot be whitewashed. An investigation of an event of this magnitude requires an organized and legally defined committee, which has expertise, has the time, the knowledge infrastructure and the resources to investigate. A state investigation committee is the only mechanism that exists to investigate this,” Gantz continues — arguing that a commission should begin probing Israel’s failures beginning with Hamas’ victory in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections.

Speaking on behalf of the government, Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem casts doubt on the impartiality of the judiciary, saying that a “real, impartial investigation committee needs to be established.”

“We will not establish a state commission of inquiry. We will establish a people’s commission of inquiry…will ultimately investigate the whole truth, including the judges,” he says.