Ex-IDF Chief Eisenkot Reveals 2018 Strike Decision Made Without Netanyahu

Former IDF Chief of Staff and current Knesset member Gadi Eisenkot revealed a dramatic incident from January 10, 2018, during a ynet conference. He stated that after a Syrian anti-aircraft missile downed an Israeli F-16 fighter jet, he was unable to reach Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for two hours. Eisenkot recounted that with the pilots having parachuted into Israeli territory and the military secretary unable to locate the prime minister, he made the decision alone to launch a broad strike against Syrian anti-aircraft batteries and Iranian targets. Netanyahu reportedly arrived at the Air Force Situation Room three to four hours later and backed the actions already taken.

Eisenkot's revelations come amid intense political debate surrounding the October 7th Hamas attacks. He strongly criticized conspiracy theories emerging from the Prime Minister's circle, particularly those suggesting a deliberate plot. "It's much more than a failure, it's deep negligence that happened on his watch, and he thinks he can manipulate the thoughts of the citizens of Israel," Eisenkot stated, referencing Netanyahu's description of the events as a "failure" rather than "treason."

He also addressed personal attacks from Netanyahu, who claimed Eisenkot's potential leadership would be "the beginning of the end of the State of Israel." Eisenkot dismissed this as "hysterical and irresponsible," asserting Israel's and the IDF's strength. He indicated his political moves are aimed at forming a stable government based on national unity.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz, when questioned about the conspiracy theories and remarks by Sara Netanyahu hinting at prior knowledge by Yair Golan, avoided a direct denial. Katz stated he relies only on official investigation materials and suggested that Hamas leaders coordinated closely with Hezbollah and Iran, implementing a plan called "Jericho Wall" that was not reported to the political echelon. He emphasized the "deep enough" failure but repeatedly refused to rule out the possibility of treason, leaving many questions unanswered.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, in his first response to his wife's interview, stated, "There was no treason" on October 7th, calling the suggestions "nonsense." He reiterated his belief that it was a "big failure," stemming from a miscalculation by security officials not to alert him or launch a preemptive strike due to concerns about provoking Hamas. He characterized the situation as a failure, not treason, and stated his wife did not claim treason either.