Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said Wednesday that the establishment of a state probe of security failures surrounding the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, should at this point wait until a new government is formed after this year’s October 27 election.

In a filing to the High Court of Justice, Baharav-Miara maintained that the debacle merits a statutory state commission of inquiry, and chided the government for failing to form any official investigation, nearly three years after the massacre that sparked the war in Gaza.

A state commission of inquiry is Israel’s highest investigative authority, with unique power to investigate national disasters, subpoena witnesses and issue personal recommendations that can end political careers. It is established by government decision, but acts independently of it, and comprises experts selected by the judiciary.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government has sought to extend political control over the judiciary, has rejected the establishment of such a commission, claiming it would be biased against him, as it is appointed by the Supreme Court chief. He has instead pushed for a government-backed probe with a mandate determined by the ruling coalition, giving the coalition greater control over potentially damning findings.

Petitioners,........

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