Am Israel Party Proposes Independent October 7th Investigation Committee

Hours after the state memorial ceremony for the October 7th events, the Am Israel party, led by Ofer Vinter, presented a proposal for an investigation committee into the events of October 7th. According to the proposal, the next Knesset will secretly elect the committee's chairman and deputy from a list of retired judges, without direct involvement from the government or the court. The committee would also include representatives of bereaved families, hostage families, and war victims, and would be granted broad investigative powers. The party emphasizes that the investigation will not be limited to the day of the massacre itself but will also examine decisions and processes from the years preceding it. Vinter opposes a state commission of inquiry. The Am Israel party criticized both the coalition and the opposition, stating, "The fact that an investigation committee has not been established to this day is a shared disgrace, both sides have an interest in there not being an investigation committee because they were part of the failure." They added that the plan is intended to establish an independent body that will gain broad public trust, will not be identified with a specific political camp, and will be able to determine responsibility and draw lessons without political constraints.