Nearly three-quaters of Israelis fear a repeat of Oct. 7-style attack, poll finds

66% of respondents to Channel 12 survey also want security debacle to be probed by a state commission of inquiry appointed by the chief justice, which Netanyahu rejects

Nearly three out of four Israelis fear a potential future attack similar in scale to the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, according to a television poll aired Friday.

The onslaught saw thousands of terrorists storm southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages. Israel has since waged devastating wars in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran.

Asked whether they fear that “another debacle like October 7 could take place in the future,” 74% of respondents to the Channel 12 poll said yes, 20% said no and 6% said they don’t know.

Asked whether Israel’s security situation has changed for the better or for worse since the onslaught, 33% of respondents said worse, another 33% said better, 27% said it hasn’t changed and 7% said they don’t know.

And asked whether they want the failures leading up to the massacre to be investigated by a statutory state commission of inquiry, whose members are selected by the Supreme Court president, 66% said yes, 25% said no and 9% said they don’t know.

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Such commissions of inquiry are Israel’s highest investigative authority, with the power to subpoena witnesses and recommend systemic changes. Under Israel’s 1968 Commissions of Inquiry law, the government decides whether to form a commission, and the chief justice chooses the members of the commission.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a commission whose members are appointed by the judiciary, which he claims is biased against him. His government is engaged in a years-long bid to weaken the judiciary, and has refused to recognize Justice Isaac Amit’s accession early last year to the role of Supreme Court president.

He has instead proposed a political commission to look into the events.

The Channel 12 survey was conducted by the Midgam polling company in cooperation with the iPanel firm. The outlet did not provide a sample size or margin of error.

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