Submarine Affair State Commission Summons Netanyahu, Chief of Staff Zamir to Testify

The State Commission of Inquiry into the Submarine Affair has summoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to testify as part of its investigation into personal responsibility for alleged failures. The commission will begin hearing witnesses on November 1, with Netanyahu scheduled to testify on December 7. The inquiry is focusing on the personal aspects and evidence related to warnings issued to senior officials.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is one of five senior figures who received personal warning letters in June 2024, indicating they might be adversely affected by the commission's findings. The other four are Moshe Ya'alon, Yossi Cohen, Ram Rotenberg, and Avner Shimoni. The commission stated that the warnings are based on the current evidence and may change after the investigation is complete.

In its warning letter to Netanyahu, the commission cited "deep and systematic disruption" in work processes and decision-making mechanisms concerning sensitive issues, posing a risk to national security and harming Israel's foreign relations and economic interests. Specifically, it noted potential findings that during his tenure as Prime Minister between 2009 and 2016, Netanyahu made significant decisions affecting national security and IDF force-building without a proper process, reached agreements with Germany on policy, security, and economic matters without documentation and bypassing the government, and turned the National Security Council into an executive body acting in parallel and in contradiction to the Ministry of Defense.

Netanyahu's office responded that the submarines are a central element of Israel's national security and existence against Iran, asserting that their procurement has ensured Israel's survival and that history will prove his decisions were correct. The commission also noted potential findings against former Mossad head Yossi Cohen for unprofessional, careless, and non-transparent conduct as head of the National Security Council between 2013 and 2015, and against former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon for acting contrary to government decisions in his roles between 2009 and 2016.

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who is not among those warned but has previously testified, is also scheduled to appear. The commission, established during the Bennett-Lapid government, is examining professional work processes and decision-making regarding the procurement of submarines and naval vessels between 2009 and 2016, excluding matters under criminal proceedings. The commission previously submitted a report in February 2026 addressing systemic issues and recommending improvements.