Netanyahu Did Not Request Call With IDF Chief on Oct. 7 Morning

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not ask to speak with the IDF Chief of Staff on the morning of October 7 until a situation assessment at 9:45 AM, according to a report by Kan News on Reshet Bet. This contradicts Netanyahu's recent claims that he was deliberately not woken up due to concerns of miscalculation, which he stated would lead to a preemptive strike in Gaza. Information obtained by Kan News indicates that even after receiving two phone calls at 6:29 AM and 6:40 AM following the start of the Hamas attack, Netanyahu did not request contact with the Chief of Staff. The first such conversation, as far as is known, occurred only during the later situation assessment.

Netanyahu had previously posted a video explaining why he believed he was not woken on October 7. He cited a protocol where former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar allegedly requested "secret medium alert status to avoid miscalculation." Netanyahu claimed the document stated, "For now, avoid broad activity" to prevent miscalculation. He further asserted that the IDF Chief of Staff, Shin Bet head, and head of Military Intelligence feared his reaction, believing he might order an air force strike and full IDF mobilization if alerted, which could provoke Hamas.

These statements from Netanyahu emerged amid controversy surrounding remarks by his wife, Sara Netanyahu. In an interview, she echoed a conspiracy theory suggesting that Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan was prepared early on October 7, implying he knew more than the Prime Minister. Golan threatened a NIS 2.5 million defamation lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu if she did not issue an apology and donate to survivors of the Nova music festival massacre within 24 hours.

Following the controversy, Benjamin Netanyahu released his own video, stating, "This is not treason, it is a failure." He dismissed claims of treason as "nonsense" and reiterated that if he had been woken, "everything would have looked different."