Knesset Panel Advances Bill for Political Probe Into Oct. 7 Attack as Opposition Boycotts

 Israel’s Knesset Constitution Committee began deliberations on Monday on a bill to establish a political investigation committee into the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack, as the government rejected calls for a state commission of inquiry and opposition lawmakers boycotted the debate.

The discussion followed a letter the government submitted Sunday to Israel’s High Court of Justice, arguing that the court has no authority to order the establishment of a state commission of inquiry and warning such a move would constitute an “unprecedented and extreme act.”

Outside the Knesset, bereaved families and protest groups demonstrated in support of a state investigation committee, while an alternative hearing led by victims’ families and opposition lawmakers was held inside the parliament complex.

Opposition Boycott, Coalition Pushes Ahead

Opposition parties did not attend the Constitution Committee session, calling the legislative effort an attempt by the coalition to evade responsibility for the failures surrounding the Oct. 7 massacre.

Demonstrators outside the Knesset carried signs reading, “Go home, government of massacre and neglect,” according to organizers.

The bill was initiated by Likud lawmaker Ariel Kellner, who opened the session by sharply criticizing the opposition.

“Those who chose to boycott this debate are not boycotting a bill,” Kellner said. “They are boycotting their own people — hundreds of bereaved families, thousands of wounded, tens of thousands of soldiers.”

Kellner accused the opposition of seeking to shield certain institutions from scrutiny and of using “violence” to impose its position — a claim opposition figures reject.

Rotman: Inquiry ‘Not the Property of One Side’

Constitution Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionism party acknowledged the presence of bereaved families holding differing views.

“There is no single camp that represents all bereaved families,” Rothman said. “The investigation of Oct. 7 is important not only to families, but to the entire public — soldiers, civilians and anyone who wants to prevent the next disaster.”

Rothman and Kellner were initially the only coalition lawmakers present. They were later joined by Likud members Osher Shekalim and Tali Gottlieb.

Bereaved Families Demand Accountability

Family members from several bereaved families’ forums participated in the committee hearing.

Itzik Buntzel, whose son Sgt. Amit Buntzel was killed in combat, said all bereaved families want answers.

“There is not a single bereaved parent, orphan or widow who does not want the truth,” he said. “We demand to know who fell asleep on guard, who ignored warnings, and who will be held accountable — for the sake of future generations.”

‘October Council’ Hearing Held Inside Knesset

At the same time, the October Council — a forum representing families of victims — convened an alternative hearing in the Knesset’s Committee on the Status of Women, with participation from opposition lawmakers and dozens of bereaved families.

The session was chaired by Rafi Ben-Shitrit, whose son Elroy was killed at the Nahal Oz military outpost.

Among those who addressed the hearing were former Justice Minister Dan Meridor, former senior IDF officer Maj. Gen. (res.) Yisrael Ziv, attorney Dov Weisglass, and family members of victims of both the Oct. 7 attack and earlier national disasters.

‘We Will Not Cooperate With a Cover-Up’

In a statement, the October Council said it would not cooperate with what it called a “cover-up committee.”

“We will not allow a government whose failure is written in the blood of our loved ones to choose the investigators, the questions and the boundaries of the truth,” the group said.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid told the alternative hearing that the coalition committee could not conduct a credible investigation.

“The people sitting in the room next to us are not investigators,” Lapid said. “They are the ones being investigated. In the first month of the next government, we will establish a state commission of inquiry.”

Einav Tsengauker, whose son Matan survived captivity in Gaza, said restoring public trust required an independent inquiry.

“Those responsible are those who had their hands on the wheel,” she said.

Former Officials Warn of Democratic Crisis

Eil Eshel, father of the late IDF observer Roni Eshel and a founder of the October Council, accused the government of erasing the truth.

“A country is not built by whitewashing, and security is not built by denial,” he said. “A state investigation committee is a debt to the dead and the wounded.”

Former Likud minister Dan Meridor warned that Israel was entering a decisive moment.

“We are in a struggle for the future of the country,” Meridor said. “I never believed such people would be running it.”