Public support in Israel for a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7 attack has declined noticeably over the past year, while backing for a politically appointed investigative body has grown, according to new polling released by the Israel Democracy Institute.

The institute’s monthly Israeli Voice Index for December 2025 found that 55% of Israelis still support the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, Israel’s highest and most independent investigative authority. However, that figure represents a drop of 9.5 percentage points since January 2025 and a decline of 12 points compared to July 2024.

According to the institute, the shift is largely driven by changing attitudes among Jewish Israelis on the political right. Support for a state commission among right-wing Jewish respondents fell by more than 20 percentage points, from 57% in January 2025 to 36% in the most recent survey.

By contrast, support for a state commission remains overwhelming on the left, at 100%, and strong among centrists, at 84%, the poll found.

As backing for a state commission notably declined, support for alternative forms of investigation increased. The survey found that 22% of Israelis now favor an investigative panel appointed by the government, an increase of 5.5 percentage points since January 2025 and 8.5 points since July 2024. An additional 8% said they support a review conducted by the state comptroller, the defense establishment, and relevant government agencies.

Among supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, opinion is divided. According to the poll, 36.5% of Likud voters support a state commission of inquiry, while 36% favor a government-appointed investigative body.

Netanyahu has consistently opposed the formation of a state commission, arguing that because such commissions are appointed by the judiciary — whose authority his government has sought to limit — they would be inherently biased against the coalition.

Last month, Netanyahu’s coalition advanced legislation aimed at establishing an alternative investigative framework. The bill, sponsored by Likud MK Ariel Kallner, passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset. The proposal would require a supermajority of 80 out of 120 lawmakers to appoint a six-member investigative committee and its chair. If agreement is not reached within two weeks, the coalition and opposition would each select three members, with four additional supervisory members representing bereaved families.

Under the proposal, if either side refuses to participate or cannot agree on candidates, the Knesset speaker would make the appointments. Opposition parties have said they would boycott such a commission, a move that critics argue would effectively leave control of the body in the hands of the governing coalition.

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