Commission of Inquiry
Amcha Yisrael’s Proposal for a Special Commission of Inquiry into the October 7 Massacre
Background
Over three years have passed since October 7 - the gravest failure ever experienced by the State of Israel - and yet no investigative body has been established to fully examine the chain of events, the failures that led to them, and those responsible.
Investigating the events requires examining all the institutions and systems involved in the failure - the government, the Knesset, the security establishment, intelligence agencies, the judiciary and the relevant professional bodies - both those who held these positions at the time and those who hold them today. As a result, any investigative mechanism that relies on the appointment of a single political figure may be perceived from the outset as compromised by a conflict of interest.
The dispute over whether to establish an inquiry has therefore become a political dispute over the identity of the investigators and the mechanism for appointing them, rather than a focus on the inquiry’s central purpose: establishing the truth and learning the lessons.
Amcha Yisrael proposes a special, independent and professional mechanism designed to remove the inquiry from the political struggle and base it on three principles: Truth, Trust and Results.
A Special Commission of Inquiry Into the October 7 Massacre
An independent, professional and dedicated mechanism for uncovering the truth and drawing lessons
Uncovering the truth A full clarification of the sequence of events, the decisions, the warnings, the failures and the responsibility.
Public trust An independent, uniform mechanism, not controlled by the government and not the product of a political power struggle.
Results Real powers and binding timetables, in order to reach conclusions, determine accountability and draw lessons.
Investigating the October 7 massacre Examining the processes, decisions and lessons related to the October 7 massacre, including relevant failures for understanding the [course of events] and its development over the years.
No political restrictions On the directions of the inquiry, the responsible parties who failed, or the questions that may be examined.
Any group of 10 Knesset members may nominate a candidate for the role of chair. 120 Knesset members vote in a secret ballot. The candidate with the most votes will be chair. The runner-up will be deputy chair.
Both positions will be filled by judges. A known mechanism, based on the principle of electing the President of the State, ensuring a broad, cross-party election.
| Members | Details |
|---|---|
| 3 family representatives | A representative of bereaved families of soldiers; a representative of bereaved families of civilians; a representative of hostage families |
| Local authorities representative | Elected by the authorities affected in the October 7 event |
| 3 professional members | Security; intelligence; state audit |
| Chair and deputy chair | 2 judges (elected in the Knesset) |
The chair and deputy chair will appoint the committee members, except for the local authorities representative. The committee combines judicial independence, professional expertise and direct representation of those harmed in the events.
- Summoning witnesses
- Demanding documents and information
- Receiving data from any relevant source
- Questioning officeholders of all ranks
- Examining any direction of inquiry required
No limitation on identifying those responsible who failed, or on the questions asked. The two heads of the body are authorized to demand any subject required for uncovering the truth.
Chair + deputy chair + local authorities representative Decisions will be made by agreement. In a case of disagreement that cannot be resolved, the local authorities representative's vote will be decisive. Neither of the two judges has a veto right, and the inquiry will not depend on a single party.
Establishing the committee and starting activity: within 60 days of the new government being sworn in.
Initial conclusions: within 6 months of the start of the committee's activity.
Duration of activity: no end date. It will be set according to the scope and the need to complete the inquiry, with interim conclusions published to the public.
