Attorney General blocks probe framework as ministers accuse unelected legal class of shielding power, not truth.
Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has issued a forceful legal opinion opposing the government-backed proposal to establish a National-State Commission of Inquiry into the failures surrounding October 7, igniting a sharp confrontation between Israel’s legal establishment and elected leadership.
In a formal document submitted to the Justice Minister, Baharav-Miara warned that the proposed law carries “personalized characteristics” allegedly tailored to the current government, arguing it undermines proper governance and constitutional norms. She asserted that the framework lacks the independence, professionalism, and transparency required of a genuine state commission of inquiry.
The opinion further claims the bill disregards professional groundwork and conflicts with guidance from the Supreme Court of Israel, warning the structure could paralyze the commission and obstruct its core mission: uncovering the truth and drawing full lessons from October 7 and the war that followed.
Government ministers responded with unprecedented bluntness. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi accused the Attorney General’s Office of fearing a mandate beyond its control, insisting that accountability terrifies those accustomed to unchecked influence.
Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs dismissed the 17-page opinion as ideologically driven rather than legally grounded. He argued the proposed commission would possess identical statutory powers to a traditional state commission, with a professional composition jointly determined by coalition and opposition—ensuring broad public trust.
Fuchs went further, accusing the Attorney General’s Office of acting as a “fourth branch of government,” obstructing elected authority and filtering which government initiatives are even allowed public exposure. In his words, not a single opinion he has received in three years has “held water.”
At stake is more than a commission—it is who controls the pursuit of truth after Israel’s darkest day: elected representatives accountable to the public, or unelected legal elites asserting veto power. As Israel seeks answers for October 7, the battle over accountability has become a defining test of democratic governance itself.
