Israel's High Court of Justice is hearing petitions today demanding the government establish a state
By Bernie,
Israel's High Court of Justice is hearing petitions today demanding the government establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, in a dramatic session that was briefly suspended after opponents of the probe tried to force their way into the courtroom. The seven justices, led by Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg, were evacuated from the chamber for about 30 minutes before returning to the bench. Likud MK Tali Gotliv was ejected from the hearing after repeated interruptions. The session is being broadcast live, but the public was barred from attending to prevent disruptions.
The government's representative, attorney Michael Rabello, told the court the current moment is not the time to launch an inquiry. "We are now in a very fragile ceasefire. I was afraid that we would not be able to get to the hearing," he said. "The main thing right now is that the State of Israel will win the fighting on all fronts. We need to win, that is the main thing." Justice Yael Vilner called the statement "a bombshell," noting that the government had previously indicated it accepted the need for an inquiry and that the dispute was only over the format. Sohlberg asked, "How many years can we wait?" Justice Khaled Kabub said the government had only moved to consider any commission after the petitions were filed and had since been "dragging its feet."
In an attempt to find middle ground, Sohlberg floated leaving the matter to the next government following elections, arguing a commission established on that basis could command broader public confidence. Vilner endorsed the idea, saying the decision should be "left to the public at the ballot box." The attorney general's representative, Yonatan Berman, rejected the proposal, saying the government's alternative framework had substantive problems and that a state commission of inquiry remained the only appropriate body. Berman warned that even under an optimistic timeline, more than three years would have passed since the start of the war before any inquiry began. The court is expected to rule in the coming weeks.
Topics: Gaza, Diplomacy
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