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Nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, Israelis are still waiting for a full, independent investigation into what the Jerusalem Post calls "the worst security failure in the country's history." This week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government informed the High Court of Justice that it will not be able to complete legislation establishing its proposed political commission to investigate the failures surrounding Hamas's October 7 attack before lawmakers leave for the election recess.

The government's explanation, according to the Jerusalem Post, is "the constraints of the Knesset's schedule." It has asked the court to dismiss petitions seeking a state commission of inquiry, arguing that the issue should be left to voters and that it is not appropriate for the court to intervene. The legislation, the government says, will be revived after the October 27 election.

Coverage comparison

Reporting from the Jerusalem Post across editorials, analysis, and news pieces consistently emphasizes the government's lack of accountability and the disconnect between its stated scheduling constraints and its legislative activity in the Knesset's final week. An editorial published July 24 describes the delay as "unacceptable to every Israeli" and says the government's explanation "should be unacceptable." A July 23 news analysis by Sarah Ben-Nun points out that the inquiry bill passed its first reading on July 6 but still required committee work and two further votes. The government now says it will revive the proposal after the election.

Ben-Nun's analysis highlights that the outgoing Knesset "found the time and procedural flexibility" to pass a series of far-reaching laws, including freezing enforcement proceedings against qualifying haredi yeshiva students who failed to report for military service, enacting Basic Law: Torah Study, weakening the attorney-general's authority, and expanding gender-segregated academic programs into advanced degrees—the latter prompting five Council for Higher Education members to resign. The piece notes that legislation moved quickly when the government considered the outcome politically important.

A July 14 column by Ben Caspit draws on warnings to government leaders before the massacre, arguing that politicians have a history of dodging accountability. Caspit quotes Channel 12 military analyst Nir Dvori saying, "Whoever makes the decisions concerning these laws will bear responsibility," and adds that Dvori's belief that the government can no longer dodge accountability is wrong, because the same thing happened after October 7.

Key claims

  • Government leaders were warned about the October 7 massacre, according to the Jerusalem Post. IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi pleaded with politicians to listen to him, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to listen to military representatives, the Post reports.
  • Military intelligence sent three warning letters to the prime minister, who dismissed them with contempt, according to a Post column by Ben Caspit.
  • The government has not taken responsibility for the massacre and informed the High Court that it will not complete legislation for a political commission of inquiry before the election recess, the Post reports.
  • The government cited "scheduling constraints" as the reason for the delay, the Post reports.
  • The Knesset passed legislation on other matters before its dissolution, including a bill preventing the enforcement of draft orders against ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students and legislation enshrining Torah study as a fundamental value in Israel's Basic Law, according to the Post.
  • The victims of the October 7 massacre deserve a full, independent investigation, the Post editorial states.
  • The government's proposal for a political commission of inquiry was designed to address concerns about the Supreme Court's role in appointing members to the commission, the Post reports.
  • The High Court ruled that the State Comptroller's investigations into the October 7 massacre exceeded his authority, according to the Post.
The Jerusalem Post's editorial acknowledges that there has been much debate over whether a political commission or a state commission of inquiry is the appropriate mechanism. The coalition has repeatedly opposed a state commission, arguing that it is impractical to investigate while Israel remains at war, and that Chief Justice Isaac Amit is not viewed as legitimate by many coalition members, which could undermine public confidence in any commission he appoints.

Former hostage Rom Braslavski attended a press conference in the Knesset calling for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, the Post reported in a July 23 news piece.