Netanyahu Accused of Dodging Accountability as Israel Demands Oct 7 Inquiry
Israeli leader accused of evading accountability two years after Hamas massacre.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting accusations of deliberately evading responsibility for the catastrophic intelligence and security failures that enabled the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which claimed 1,221 lives. Despite widespread public outrage and weekly demonstrations demanding hostage returns and governmental accountability, Netanyahu has consistently rejected calls for an independent state commission of inquiry.
More than 70 percent of Israelis support the establishment of a formal state inquiry, similar to the 1973 commission that forced Prime Minister Golda Meir’s resignation. Such commissions, appointed by the Supreme Court president, are viewed as the standard mechanism for investigating major national failures. Netanyahu’s coalition, however, has blocked the process, dismissing the judiciary as politically biased and labeling opposition demands a partisan maneuver.
Tensions escalated sharply after the Israeli military dismissed three generals and disciplined other senior officers based on its own internal probes. The military’s top commander called for a broader systemic investigation, a statement perceived in political circles as a direct challenge to Netanyahu. In response, Defense Minister Israel Katz, widely regarded as a loyal ally of the prime minister, announced a new review of the military’s findings—prompting the armed forces to denounce the move and insist only an external, independent commission can deliver credible answers.
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Netanyahu has instead proposed a government-appointed “independent” panel selected by cabinet ministers, a plan immediately condemned as neither independent nor objective. Thousands protested in Tel Aviv, demanding a genuine state inquiry free from political interference. Analysts note that accepting personal responsibility would almost certainly end Netanyahu’s political career, providing a clear motive for his continued resistance.
With elections required by late 2026 and public anger still simmering two years after the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, the refusal to establish a proper commission of inquiry has become the defining battle over who will ultimately be held accountable for October 7.
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