Israeli Politicsupdated 23m ago2 min read
Archive photoEisenkot Pushes October 7 Inquiry as Netanyahu Attacks Palestinian-Led Opposition in New Knesset
8 West Asian3 Other2 Western Mainstream2 Other source typesPhoto: Shlomo Spitzer (שלמה שפיצר), CC BY 2.5 · Cropped for layout
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Eisenkot-led bloc submits bill to form Oct. 7 state inquiry. New Knesset sworn in as opposition seeks control to advance Oct. 7 inquiry.
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New Knesset, fast opposition
Israel’s new Knesset opened with opposition lawmakers moving immediately to seize control of the legislature from Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, even as the opposition said it was still too divided to form a government. Gadi Eisenkot, the politician tasked with forming a new Israeli government, pushed an agenda that included a state commission of inquiry into the 7 October 2023 attacks and term limits for Israel’s prime ministers, which could block Netanyahu from taking power again.
President Isaac Herzog urged lawmakers to avoid a repeat election, saying, “Reach out a hand for compromise, even between rivals … Look upon one another with generosity.” Netanyahu responded to the swearing in by attacking two Palestinian-led opposition parties and calling their lawmakers “terror supporters,” while Eisenkot denounced the speech as a “delusional, divisive, hate-filled and shameful” exploitation of a state occasion.
Speaker fight and walkouts
The Knesset’s first clashes centered on electing a new speaker, with Amir Ohana still holding the post and the opposition seeking a vote to replace him as soon as possible. Ohana said he had granted a request from 67 Knesset members to hold a vote for his successor next Tuesday, “despite my strong opposition to the intention of the emerging coalition”.
Yair Golan and Yoav Segalovich walked out of Netanyahu’s speech in protest, and Yoav Segalovich is described as a Jewish-Israeli former police chief who ran on the slate of Islamist Ra’am. Netanyahu’s opponents also faced confrontations over Arab-Israelis during the session, with Ben Gvir shouting, “Who is he pledging allegiance to, Hamas?” before order was restored.
October 7 inquiry and limits
Eisenkot’s allies submitted bills on the opening day of the 26th Knesset, including a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 attacks and proposals to impose term limits on prime ministers. Eisenkot’s Yashar party said it submitted a slew of proposals, including establishing an independent commission to investigate security failures that allowed the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which Netanyahu has long opposed.
Herzog told lawmakers, “We must leave no stone unturned, must investigate and must understand how the October 7 disaster occurred,” while Netanyahu continued to refuse a state commission of inquiry into October 7. The stakes for the new parliament were also framed around its ability to act without a governing coalition, with Asaf Shapira saying, “Failure to form a new government does not diminish the Knesset’s powers.”