Citing US’s 9/11 probe, Netanyahu says he wants to ‘establish inquiry commission with broad public support’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking in the Knesset, argues that many in the Israeli public would not accept the makeup of a state commission of inquiry into October 7, as it would be appointed by the Supreme Court, distrusted by many on the right.

Netanyahu says his government “wants to establish a commission of inquiry with as broad public support as possible,” and not one rejected by what he claims is “at least half the country.”

Polls have actually indicated consistently that a clear majority of Israelis support a state commission.

“It has to be a balanced commission that will hear everyone, will investigate everyone, and that will earn the greatest possible public trust.” he says.

“The only way to ensure public trust in the commission’s work is through broad agreement on its composition,” he says. “The commission of inquiry we establish must be based on representation of all parts of the nation, not only a part of it, or at least the great majority of it.”

He says the critical question is whether it is possible to create a commission based on broad national consensus.

Netanyahu points to the commission created to investigate the 9/11 attacks on New York as a model. “The American people wanted to understand how such an event occurred. Under whom did the event occur? Who has responsibility for the event?”

“They did something different,” he says. “They established a bipartisan commission. A national investigation commission shared equally by Republicans and Democrats.

“Both sides of the political divide cooperated fully to learn lessons for the good of the country. No one tried to use the commission as a political tool.”

Israel, he says, “must establish a commission of inquiry based on broad agreement.”

“I will be the first to stand before it and answer every question,” he adds.

“But I will not be the only one who answers the questions,” he continues. “Everyone will be asked, and everyone will have to respond.”

“Let’s investigate what happened,” he says. “Let’s investigate who did what, in the diplomatic realm, in the security realm, in the early-warning realm. All of these things must be investigated, but they must be investigated not by a panel that more than half of the public believes has pre-written conclusions.”

Critics claim Netanyahu wishes to establish a governmental committee over whose makeup he will have greater control, and with lesser powers than a state commission, which they argue would hinder its ability to reach the truth.