Yair Golan Threatens Lawsuit Against Sara Netanyahu Over Oct. 7 Claims

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democratic Party, has sent a warning letter to Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding a public apology for her statements regarding his actions on October 7. Golan threatened to sue her for 2.5 million shekels if she fails to comply within 24 hours. The dispute stems from an interview Sara Netanyahu gave to Channel 14, in which Golan alleges she repeated conspiracy theories questioning his presence near the Gaza Strip on the morning of the Hamas attack. Golan described her statements as slander and an attempt to rewrite history, tarnish the reputation of those who defended the country, and conceal government responsibility for the security failure.

Golan has proposed an apology text for Sara Netanyahu to sign, which would acknowledge her statements as false and baseless. The proposed text states that Golan learned of the Hamas attack after the first sirens at 6:29 AM, then proceeded to the Gaza border area, risking his life to save festival-goers. His pre-trial notice outlines his version of events: after the alarm, he drove to the Home Front Command headquarters, obtained a rifle, and headed towards the Gaza border. Throughout the morning, he repeatedly entered the area where festival participants had fled, evacuating six young people.

Golan's lawyers argue that Sara Netanyahu's statements effectively accuse him of treason and represent a deliberate attempt to distort facts and damage his reputation before elections. They emphasized that Golan will not allow the actions of IDF soldiers, security teams, volunteers, and civilians who saved lives on October 7 to be devalued. Golan stated that the government is attempting to shift blame onto those who defended the country that day, portraying them as victims while allegedly blaming those who financed Hamas and caused the security failure. He pledged to pursue the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to determine the circumstances of the events and identify those responsible for the security lapse.