Small group of activists calls for Oct. 7 state commission probe outside PM’s office; 3 said detained

A small group of activists tries to block the entrance to the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, calling for the creation of a state commission of inquiry into October 7 rather than the contentious politically appointed committee that is set to be confirmed by the Ministerial Committee of Legislation today before it goes to the Knesset to be voted on.

Hebrew-language media reports say three people were detained. There is no comment from police.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the public would not trust a state commission because its members would be determined by the judiciary, which his government has sought to weaken through a series of controversial laws. As recently as 2022, Netanyahu had backed a state commission of inquiry into the conduct of the previous government.

Despite Netanyahu’s claims, opinion polls consistently show that a state commission of inquiry is backed by a majority of the public.