Benny Gantz
Benny GantzAriel Hermoni/Ministry of Defense

Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced on Saturday night that he intends to submit a draft resolution for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the purchase of submarines and other vessels by Israel.

"This committee will have the ability to examine in depth and independently, in contrast to the ministerial committee, which the Defense Minister tried to establish in light of Netanyahu's opposition to a state commission of inquiry," Gantz emphasized.

The draft resolution will be submitted to the Government Secretariat in the near future, after the end of the preparatory work in the Ministry of Defense and coordination with the Attorney General, which will be formulated in the coming days.

"I expect that this time, all government ministers will support the establishment of the committee. The question marks must not be left open, and wide conclusions must be drawn. We must not be satisfied only with the legal process when it comes the most serious security issue in the history of the State of Israel," Gantz said.

The Likud said in response: "In recent months, Benny Gantz has said dozens of times in the media that there is no reason to investigate the recycled submarine affair because even the Attorney General 'did not find it appropriate to open an investigation and I am content with that.' What has changed that Gantz has now decided to drag the defense establishment into a political debate? It is unfortunate that even after they delved into the affair and found nothing and after the former senior members of the National Security Council testified that there was no flaw in the purchase of the submarines and vessels, Gantz continues a blind persecution against Netanyahu and the Likud."