At the government meeting held today (Sunday), a discussion was held on the establishment of a national investigative committee to examine the failures of October 7. This was after it was decided at the government meeting held last week that an investigative committee would not be established at this stage.
Accordingly, the government submitted a response to the High Court of Justice, clarifying: "The government is responsible for the security of the state, and it is the one that, according to the law, is authorized to decide on the establishment of a committee.".
Despite this, the ministers discussed at length the options before them as well as the questions and possible difficulties.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said: "The composition should be without a political echelon. It is important to define the mandate and define a model that gains the trust of the majority of the public. There is a critical question that has not been discussed: Since when are investigations being conducted? What period? Since Oslo? Since the disengagement? What are the emphases? Should October 7 also be investigated going forward?"
"On the political issue - the majority of the public wants Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue leading the country, based on the fact that in political and security matters he has a great advantage over the others. The opposition's disagreement could lead to the issue being decided in the Knesset or in the next government, so it is better for us to make the decision.".
Minister Kish: "We need a national committee with broad consensus. The question is what to do with the opposition? They are already campaigning after they stopped with the kidnappers. We may need the consensus of 70-80 MKs, we will never have them all.".
Minister Smotrich: "And if they don't agree to everything?"'
Minister Struck: "There will be a campaign. Whoever succeeded in fooling public opinion with the kidnappers will succeed in this too.".
Minister Smotrich to Netanyahu: "If you return to fighting in Gaza in two months, how will you establish an investigative committee?"'
Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fox turned to Minister Orit Struck: "In the end, there will be a committee and we need to think about some way.".
Strok replied: "I am in favor of an investigation.".
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed that any committee that is established must also include an examination of the responsibility of the Legal Advisor to the Government, as part of the assessment of all the parties involved in making decisions on the eve of the attack.
Minister Ben Gvir: "I've heard Ronen Bar and Haliva say for a whole year that Hamas is being deterred, but the Attorney General and the legal system also have a large part in what happened. Legal elements thwarted attempts to harm Hamas, and the same happened in the prisons. The outline must be national, without members of the legal system, those who sit on the throne are some of the people being investigated.".
Ben Gvir emphasized his demand to include legal entities in the investigation. "That those being investigated should not become investigators," he said. "She must also be investigated. There must be no one who is immune.".
Minister Shlomo Kari: "When we talk about a commission of inquiry, it's as if the High Court of Justice is here in the room. It has no authority to establish a commission and it's not the issue. The time has come to prepare for the establishment of a national commission of inquiry, as happened in the US after 9/11, with as broad a consensus as possible.".
At the end of the discussion, the government decided to promote the establishment of an "independent" investigative committee to examine the events of October 7. According to the decision, the committee will have full investigative powers, and will be composed in a way that reflects the broadest possible public consensus.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will head a ministerial committee that will recommend within 45 days the mandate to be given to the investigative committee.
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