Yair Golan to Sue Netanyahu's Wife Over Conspiracy Claims

Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan announced Tuesday he intends to file a defamation lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu and Channel 14. The lawsuit stems from comments made by Netanyahu on the pro-government channel, where she alleged that Golan, a former deputy IDF chief of staff, had prior knowledge of the October 7th Hamas attack.

In an interview broadcast on Channel 14, Netanyahu suggested Golan was prepared for the attack early on October 7th, while others, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were unaware. She questioned why the Prime Minister would need to be informed of an impending war, in remarks that echoed ongoing conspiracy theories within certain political circles.

The French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on Netanyahu's statements, headlining its report: "Netanyahu's Wife Attacks Political Rival, Spreads Conspiracy Theory." AFP noted that Netanyahu hinted a political opponent knew about the planned October 7th attack, just weeks before a closely contested Knesset election.

Golan, a retired major general and leader of the left-wing Democratic Party, is a vocal opponent of the current coalition government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu. The report also mentioned Netanyahu's response to questions about a "betrayal conspiracy" and her opposition to a state inquiry commission, stating she did not wish to discuss it.

Former minister Gadi Eisenkot of the Yisrael Beiteinu party condemned Netanyahu's remarks on X, calling the "betrayal conspiracy" baseless and designed to fuel hatred and perpetuate Netanyahu's rule, which he characterized as divisive.