Benjamin Netanyahu announces October 7 inquiry, what is the process and will it affect his hold on power?
An inquiry into the government's failings for the Hamas' October 7 attacks has been a long-standing demand in Israel. Many say Netanyahu was not going forward with the inquiry to shift blame and even hold on to power, some are even dissatisfied with the current inquiry.
New Delhi: The Israeli government has finally agreed to launch an investigation to look at causes behind Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel which precipitated into the subsequent war in Gaza. While the demand has been one that is long-standing, even after its announcement many are not satisfied with it.
Many in Israel see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as trying to evade responsibility for the attack, by shifting the onus on the Army and intelligence agencies. The current inquiry, and its makeup, is also being questioned as whether it could bring about actual justice and answers.
The process of inquiry
While the demand for an inquiry has been a long-standing one, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long stalled the process, insisting that it would be carried on after the war in Gaza is over. After the ceasefire’s implementation, now Netanyahu has finally assented to the demand of an inquiry into the October 7 attacks.
The Israeli government thus approved the formation of a watered-down "government committee,” whose makeup will be overseen by Netanyahu. Detractors claim that this would effectively put him in charge of the inquiry and diminish its authenticity.
Calls for a state commission of inquiry, to be led by a sitting or retired Supreme Court justice, have thus been raised.been omnipresent since the attacks. Israel has traditionally appointed an independent state commission of inquiry, led by a retired judge, following major governmental failures. This time around a similar plea was raised but has not come about.
Finally, the Prime Minister’s Office of Israel announced that instead a politically appointed inquiry, with Netanyahu as the head and his close ally parliament Speaker Amir Ohana, will oversee the selecting of the committee's members. According to the current plans for the inquiry, a body of six members will be selected, and the chair will be chosen from within the group. A cross-party backing for all six appointments is also expected to take place. Nonetheless, the final assent would be with Speaker Amir Ohana.
Why is it such a hot topic?
The designation of the inquiry and the procedure of selecting its candidates has not gone down well with many in Israel. The makeup and process of the inquiry is being seen as giving undue power to Netanyahu. Many have voiced a demand for an independent state inquiry instead of the government proposed panel.
The move is being seen as Netanyahu trying to circumvent responsibility for the October 7 attack. An independent inquiry into the attack has been demanded for a long time now, as accusations have been around that Netanyahu has shifted the blame for the attack on the Israeli Army and intelligence services. Many high-ranking officers in the military and security establishment that were in command during the attack have subsequently resigned or been forced out, but no action has been taken on Netanyahu or his government.
On the other hand, detractors say that Netanyahu also holds responsibility and not just the military or intelligence services. An independent inquiry it was thus hoped could reveal the years of policy choices of the Prime Minister during the attack and his complicity in influencing the factors that led to the attack. The issue is also deeply political.
Netanyahu is currently facing significant pressure in Israel over a non war related corruption trial. If now faced with incriminating evidence which make him look culpable in any way related to the Israel-Hamas war post October 7, could turn disastrous for his hold on power. Especially as Netanyahu runs a coalition government, whose instability is well known. A major reason that it kept standing was the unity needed during the war effort, but as military escalations subside, the need for accountability grows and Netanyahu would clearly be fearing any scrutiny that could destabilise his coalition. A damaging inquiry could thus collapse the coalition, trigger elections, and end Netanyahu’s long political career.
The inquiry is thus being questioned to this extent, even though it was being demanded for so long. Head of the Democrats party Yair Golan tweeted commented on the inquiry, encapsulating a large segment’s opposition to it, saying, "The man responsible for the greatest disaster in our history isn’t looking for answers, he’s looking for an alibi. This committee won’t investigate failures — it will investigate how to pin the blame on the army, on the protest movement, or even on the kibbutz members.” "The mandate is clear: to whitewash the leader and cling to power by force,” he added.