Bereaved families clashed outside Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday morning as justices heard petitions seeking to require the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attack.
The confrontation involved families divided over the government’s policies and the role of the court, with pro-government demonstrators accusing opponents of backing a judiciary they said had restricted the Israel Defense Forces from taking action that could have prevented October 7.
Others opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has actively resisted the establishment of a formal State Commission of Inquiry—Israel’s highest-level, independent investigative body—to examine the October 7, 2023, attack. They said only an official inquiry would be objective and free of political bias.
Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz commented on the incidents, writing that “the confrontations between bereaved parents, less than 48 hours after we commemorated the memory of the fallen, are heartbreaking.”
Inside the courtroom, High Court justices challenged arguments by government representative Michael Rabello, who said the court lacks authority to establish a commission of inquiry into October 7.
“All the rulings of the High Court establish that the court has the authority to intervene in irregular and extreme circumstances. Is this an irregular situation?” Justice Yael Willner asked Rabello.
Referencing the government’s position, Justice Noam Solberg said, “Is the decision of the government not extreme? In practice, nothing has been done. Is this not an extreme situation? What part of the government’s conduct hasn’t been extreme up to this point?”
Rabello has argued that court intervention would interfere with executive authority, describing such a move as “extreme,” unprecedented, and potentially biased.