The news that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be heading the inquiry into his own government’s failings ahead of the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, has drawn sharp criticism from many across Israel.Calls for a state commission of inquiry, to be led by a sitting or retired Supreme Court justice, have been omnipresent since the attacks.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listSenior military figures, the families of many of those killed or taken captive on October 7, and polls of the Israeli public have supported the establishment of an inquiry capable of holding the government to account.Until now, Netanyahu has gone to great lengths to avoid an official investigation into any failings on his or his government’s part, arguing instead that overseeing his country’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 70,000 people since October 2023, has had to take priority.However, on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Netanyahu would instead be pushing ahead with legislation to establish a politically-appointed inquiry, with him at the helm, with parliament Speaker Amir Ohana, a close ally of the prime minister, expected to play a key role in selecting its members.The plan outlines a body of six members, who would choose a chair from within the group. The government has said it would first seek cross-party backing for all six appointments. However, if the oppositio …
