President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday criticized a government-backed proposal to establish a political commission of inquiry into Israel’s failures surrounding the October 7 attack, warning that political involvement could undermine public trust and the search for truth.
Speaking at a Bible study marking the fast of the 10th of Tevet, Herzog said Israel must conduct a “full, deep and statesmanlike investigation” under existing law through a state commission of inquiry into what he called the “terrible disaster” of October 7 and the failures that led to it.
“The pain of citizens, families and communities in Israel is immense. They want answers, and they deserve answers,” Herzog said. He warned that including political figures on the panel, particularly during an election year, could “significantly harm” the process and confidence in its findings.
Herzog said rebuilding Israel, including Jerusalem, communities near the Gaza border and the north, requires confronting the past rather than ignoring it. Referring to the historical significance of the fast day, he said national disasters begin not with collapse but when early warnings are ignored and reality is no longer acknowledged.
He said such disasters occur when alerts are dismissed as disruptions and those who raise concerns are portrayed as exaggerating, citing ignored warnings from female surveillance soldiers who flagged enemy preparations before the attack.
“Precisely after the national disaster of the October 7 massacre, on Simchat Torah, we are required, out of pain, to engage in shared rebuilding,” Herzog said, calling for civic, moral and leadership courage alongside military bravery.
He also warned that harsh and inflammatory discourse, especially verbal attacks by elected officials against public servants, deepens polarization and brings Israel closer to “another national disaster.”
Last Wednesday, the Knesset approved in a preliminary vote a bill to establish a political commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre, which occurred more than two years and two months ago. The measure passed 53-48. Members of the October Council, representing bereaved families, former hostages and survivors of the attack, protested at the Knesset, some in tears, urging coalition lawmakers to oppose the bill.
In a statement, the group said lawmakers had voted for a “cover-up” that would allow those under investigation to appoint their own investigators, ensuring “the truth would not come to light.”