The Or Commission was an Israeli panel of inquiry appointed to investigate the issue of Israeli police treatment of Arabs. Releasing its report on September 2, 2003, and named for its chief investigator, Theodore Or, it severely criticised Israeli police for using excessive force in putting down Arab protestors, resulting in the deaths of 13 Arab Israeli citizens. Shlomo Ben-Ami, the Internal Security Minister at the time, was found most responsible and is barred from holding that post again. Several ranking Arab-Israelis, including two Arab Members of the Knesset (MK), were also criticized for their role in helping incite the riots.
Its report was highly controversial, both for its findings and for its exhonorations, notably for the circumvention of due process for Arab citizens.
A similar commission in 1983, investigating military abuses of Palestinians, led to the resignation of Ariel Sharon as defense minister.
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