Defense Minister Avoids Denying Treason Amid Netanyahu's Wife's Conspiracy Theories

Defense Minister Israel Katz has refused to explicitly deny conspiracy theories surrounding the October 7th Hamas attacks, leaving a disturbing ambiguity regarding the role of Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan. During a tense public appearance at the ynet conference, Katz was directly questioned about statements made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara Netanyahu, in a Channel 14 interview. Sara Netanyahu had suggested Golan's early arrival at the scene on the morning of October 7th was suspicious. Katz, claiming he "doesn't consume media" and relies only on official investigation materials, evaded a clear answer. He stated that the "failure is deep enough" to explain what happened, referencing Hamas's coordination with Hezbollah and Iran and their execution of the "Jericho Wall" plan, which he claimed was not reported to the political echelon. Despite his cautious wording, Katz repeatedly avoided ruling out the possibility of treason, leaving the audience and media with questions about his knowledge.

These remarks by Katz follow Sara Netanyahu's controversial interview where she questioned Golan's presence at the scene early on October 7th, dressed and ready while others, including the Prime Minister, were unaware. Although she denied participating in any theories and called for a "real investigation committee," Golan responded by sending her a legal notice demanding a public apology and NIS 2.5 million for Nova party survivors.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, publicly dismissed the treason theories as "nonsense." He stated that while there was a significant failure due to miscalculation and a decision not to "anger Hamas" by alerting him, it was not treason. He asserted that his wife also did not claim there was treason. This explicit denial from the Prime Minister contrasts sharply with the Defense Minister's evasiveness.

Separately, Defense Minister Katz declared that Israel destroyed Iran's nuclear program during Operation "With All Dogs" and that it has not been renewed. He praised the IDF's capabilities and asserted that Israel is prepared to respond forcefully to any attack, regardless of external factors, amidst ongoing tensions with Iran.