France summons the Iranian ambassador over cyber attacks

France summoned the Iranian ambassador today (Tuesday), after it accused Tehran of responsibility for a cyber attack that disabled the refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warned that Paris may respond by taking cyber measures of its own.

Yesterday (Monday), French officials accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of responsibility for these attacks, which caused the disruption of cooling systems in shops across France during October.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, “The summoning of the Iranian ambassador, which the minister announced yesterday, took place this morning.”

Barrow said in statements to France Info television that France would seek to impose sanctions from the European Union in response to what he described as “an unprecedented attack on our country in terms of scope and aggression.” The minister said it was likely that further measures would be taken that would not be revealed, according to what Reuters reported.

Barrow said, "We will take all necessary measures, including measures that we will not discuss publicly, if we deem them proportionate and necessary to confront any new attacks and punish those responsible for this unacceptable violation."

He added that the French cyber defense doctrine provides the authorities with a range of options.

The hacks that targeted hundreds of supermarkets in early October were among the most disruptive cyberattacks since the outbreak of the Iran War in February, a conflict punctuated by sporadic incidents of suspected digital sabotage.

Other incidents included hacks targeting the transportation system in Los Angeles in March, and water treatment plants in the United States in July.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. Tehran usually denies carrying out any malicious cyber operations.

Relations between Paris and Tehran have witnessed tension over the years, due to Iran's nuclear and missile programs, its activities in the region, and its detention of a number of French citizens.

Although relations improved after the release of those detained, and France distanced itself from the US war on Iran, relations deteriorated again during the summer after the Islamic Republic arrested two French diplomats before expelling them later. Paris responded by expelling Iranian diplomats.

French officials say that Tehran is adopting an increasingly hostile approach towards France, especially because of Paris's support for Iranian civil society.

The new Israeli parliament begins its work on Tuesday, two weeks after legislative elections that did not result in a clear majority. Will the parties opposed to caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begin their war against him even before a new government is formed?

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday tasked former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new government, a complex task that may take time. Until a new government is formed, Netanyahu, who is considered the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, will continue to carry out the government's work. But the new parliament, consisting of 120 members, includes a large segment of members who may unite to confront him and obstruct his policies.

Assaf Shapira, a political expert at the Israeli Democracy Institute, says: “Failure to form a new government does not detract from the powers of the Knesset.” The number of seats in Netanyahu's bloc in the new parliament decreased to 53 seats, after he had a comfortable majority of 68 seats in the previous parliament.

The opposition bloc won 46 seats. The Arab-majority parties, which won 19 seats, strongly oppose Netanyahu and his far-right government.

Below are the most prominent means that the new Knesset could use against Netanyahu’s policies:

An investigation committee into the October 7th attack

During its election campaign, the opposition bloc focused on the need to establish a committee to investigate the security failures that occurred during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu refused to bear any responsibility for these failures, and his government consistently opposed the formation of an independent national investigation committee with broad investigative powers, preferring a review conducted by politically appointed figures.

Shapira says that even before a new government is formed, the new parliament could establish a special committee to investigate the attack, with its findings later referred to an official investigation committee.

Eisenkot announced after the elections held on October 27 that forming an investigation committee would be one of his immediate priorities.

Repeal laws passed during the Netanyahu era

The new parliament could also move quickly to repeal some of the most controversial laws passed under Netanyahu, including his push for broad reforms in the judiciary, which the prime minister has come to view as an adversary after corruption charges were brought against him.

The judicial reforms sparked one of the largest waves of popular protest in Israeli history. Liberal circles expressed their concerns about the future of democracy in the country, before the Hamas attack and the wars that followed quickly shifted public attention to other issues.

The new parliament could seek to repeal the laws passed by the previous government coalition, which limited the powers of the Supreme Court and facilitated the dismissal of the government's judicial advisor.

Representatives can also withdraw the exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service. This exemption angers a wide segment of Israelis, at a time when the military establishment faces increasing pressure and a shortage of manpower.

Shapira explains that repealing the laws passed under Netanyahu is simple from a procedural standpoint, as it is sufficient to put them to a vote and return to previous policies. However, this process may take several weeks, while the opposition needs intense coordination among itself and agreement on its legislative priorities.

Election of a new speaker of the Knesset

The first political confrontation will revolve around the election of a new speaker of the Knesset. This position is currently held by Amir Ohana, who belongs to Netanyahu's Likud Party.

Under the Parliament's bylaws, voting to choose the Speaker of the Knesset can be held starting from the opening session, and must take place before the new government is sworn in.

The first signs of confrontation appeared on Thursday, when three parties from Eisenkot's team sent letters to the outgoing Speaker of the Knesset, asking him to elect a successor during the opening session of Parliament, a date that is, according to Shapira, the most common in such cases. But Ohana responded that the established tradition requires that the Speaker of the Knesset be elected on the day the new government takes the constitutional oath.

Naftali Bennett, one of the most prominent faces of the opposition, pledged to move “urgently” to implement the bloc’s priorities. He said, “We will work to control the Knesset as soon as possible.”