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Eisenkot pushes October 7 inquiry as Netanyahu targets Arab parties in tense new parliament
Developing story first seen 7 hours ago
At the new Knesset’s opening session, Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc advanced plans for an independent inquiry into the failures behind the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and to repeal Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul. Its cooperation with Arab-Israeli lawmakers has sharpened tensions, including within Eisenkot’s own broad bloc, as political leaders seek to form a government.
Eisenkot’s Yashar party says its bloc has enough support in the 120-seat parliament to elect Matan Kahana as speaker, with a vote scheduled for next Tuesday after 67 lawmakers requested one. Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu has the 61 votes needed to govern; President Isaac Herzog has tasked Eisenkot with forming a government and urged compromise. Netanyahu has called for national unity, citing Iran, while right-wing bloc member Avigdor Liberman opposes a government reliant on Arab-majority parties.
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In short
- Eisenkot’s bloc is pushing for an inquiry into the October 7 failures.
- It also wants to repeal Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul.
- Arab lawmakers’ support is deepening divisions within the bloc.
How this story developed
- 30 minutes ago Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc used the opening of Israel’s new parliament to press for an independent inquiry into the security failures behind the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and to repeal Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul.
- 35 minutes ago At the new Knesset’s opening session, Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc advanced plans for an independent inquiry into the failures behind the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and to repeal Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of an independent inquiry argue that the public needs a credible account of the security failures before the 7 October attack, and that repealing the judicial overhaul could help restore institutional trust. They may see cooperation with Arab-Israeli lawmakers as a legitimate way to assemble a parliamentary majority and pursue compromise.
The case against
Opponents may argue that an inquiry or repeal pursued during government formation could deepen political division or constrain the government before it can address urgent security concerns. They may also regard reliance on Arab-majority parties as an unstable basis for governing, particularly amid regional tensions, and favour a broader unity arrangement.
Explained simply
The Knesset is Israel’s parliament, with 120 seats. A government needs the support of at least 61 lawmakers, so parties often have to work together to govern. The president asks a politician to try to form a government, but that person must still win enough support in parliament.
The 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led militants entered Israel from Gaza, led to questions about how the country’s security forces and leaders failed to prevent it. An independent inquiry would examine those failures. Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul, which sought to change the courts’ powers, has also divided Israelis.
Arab-Israeli lawmakers represent citizens who are part of Israel’s Arab minority, and their support can affect which groups can form a governing majority. Parties disagree over whether to work with them, as well as over how to address security, the courts and responsibility for the attack.
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