State comptroller calls on Netanyahu to cooperate with probe of Oct. 7 failures
Israel’s State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman called on the country’s Prime Minister and military chief of staff to cooperate with his office’s probe into the failures of October 7 in separate letters sent on Wednesday.
Benjamin Netanyahu and Herzi Halevi
“My public and ethical duty as the state auditor is to carry out a comprehensive audit of the biggest failure in the history of the state, the Simchat Torah massacre on October 7,” Englman wrote in a letter to Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi. “My office personnel are currently in the midst of an audit on dozens of issues and we are reviewing the conduct of all levels – the political, military and civilian.”
The comptroller, also known as the state ombudsman, periodically releases reports auditing Israeli preparedness and the effectiveness of government policies.
“After more than six months of war, the citizens of Israel are entitled to answers regarding the responsibility of all the factors, circumstances and those responsible for the failure – and the State Comptroller’s Office is determined to provide them,” Englman added.
A separate letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested his office has been dragging its feet on sharing relevant documents.
“The fact that more than half a year after the massacre on 10/7 and nearly four months after I was notified of the start of the audit, the work teams in my office do not receive the full cooperation required in connection with the work of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Political-Security Cabinet in regards to the events and procedures that preceded them – reflects an improper situation from a public point of view,” the Comptroller wrote to Netanyahu.
In February, the Israel Defence Forces’ Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi ordered an internal probe of the military’s failures of October 7. That inquiry will investigate the IDF General Staff, military intelligence, the deficiencies of the Gaza border defences, and general operational matters.
Its mandate does not include decisions made by the political echelon.
Regarding the army’s internal probe, Englman wrote, “There is no denying that the IDF’s internal operational investigations and lessons learned processes are of great importance, but these are not in any way a substitute for the audits conducted by the State Comptroller’s Office. Besides the fact that the State Comptroller’s Office is an external, independent and objective body, it is also the only civilian body that holds a broad systemic view and the ability to carry out an in-depth examination of all ranks – political, military and civil – and in a variety of controlled bodies at the same time.”
A separate independent commission of inquiry with a broader mandate including political failures is expected to take place after the war. Such commissions have broader authority to summon witnesses and collect evidence and are headed by a senior Supreme Court justice.
Netanyahu’s office states that “Contrary to what has been claimed, the Prime Minister’s Office is fully cooperating with the State Comptroller’s Office.
Every request has been answered in full, including all questions regarding the Prime Minister, despite the fact that all teams at the PMO are working around the clock on the war.
The fact that the State Comptroller’s Spokesperson chose to issue another report that is, without foundation instead of contacting the PMO – is unnecessary behaviour in wartime.
The PMO will continue to cooperate fully with the State Comptroller’s Office.”
At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Around 30 of the remaining 133 hostages are believed dead.
