The chairman of the commission of inquiry established to investigate the Submarine Affair, retired Judge Amnon Strashnov, has informed Defense Minister Benny Gantz that the committee’s members have decided to resign due to attempts to limit the extent of their authority.
In his letter to Gantz, Strashnov wrote: “I thank you for the trust you have placed in me, but unfortunately I must now inform you that we will not be able to continue to serve as members of the committee, due to the fact that our powers have been severely curtailed, preventing us from investigating the matter in depth and arriving at the truth of what occurred.”
Strashnov added that, “I have discovered that the Attorney-General and his representatives have been discussing this committee’s authority with the security establishment and members of the government, and that in light of the criminal proceedings [against the Prime Minister] which are already ongoing, the Attorney-General intends to impose severe restrictions on the committee’s scope of action.”
Following his receipt of the letter, Gantz sent an urgent letter of his own to the Attorney-General, demanding that the commission of inquiry be accorded the necessary powers to investigate the Submarine Affair to the required degree.
“In view of the great importance of the issue, I urge you to permit the committee to commence its investigations, as the issue relates to highly significant security, economic, and public issues,” he wrote.