Families of Victims Slam Netanyahu Over Report on Unanswered Calls to IDF Chief
A report by Kan News, alleging that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not request to speak with the IDF Chief of Staff for over three hours after the October 7th Hamas attacks began, has sparked sharp criticism from victims' families and the political sphere. The "October Council," representing families of those affected by the attacks, attacked Netanyahu's previous claim that he was not woken up the night before the assault. "This morning we are discovering the harder truth, even when he was woken up, he did not ask to speak with the IDF Chief of Staff for three hours," the council stated. They emphasized that during these critical hours, "our children, our parents, our brothers and sisters were still alive. They were hiding in safe rooms, bleeding in the field, calling for help, waiting for the army and the state to arrive. The Prime Minister was already awake. The country was burning and he did not speak with the IDF Chief of Staff."
The council reiterated its demand for a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7th, stating, "These three hours are not a footnote. They could be the difference between life and death. And we will not let anyone bury them." Yonatan Shamriz, founder of the "Komo" movement and brother of a soldier killed by friendly fire, criticized Netanyahu, stating, "It turns out that Benjamin 'if they had woken me' Netanyahu was busy, after being woken up, with everything except managing the situation." He added that if the first conversation with the army's supreme commander is three hours after Israeli settlements were already occupied, "then your judgment is sick."
The "Yash!" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, called the report "another shocking detail reflecting the conduct" of Netanyahu, calling it "further proof of his lack of leadership and weakness in the most difficult moments in the country's history." The party asserted that Netanyahu fears opening protocols because he knows what Israeli citizens will discover, "leadership, initiative, guidance, and responsibility." They pledged to push for a state commission of inquiry after the elections.
Former IDF Major General and Democratic Party Chairman Yair Golan stated, "While Hamas terrorists are occupying settlements, murdering, raping, and abducting Israelis, the Prime Minister is in an incomprehensible disconnect from the IDF Chief of Staff. This is a most serious testimony to his poor and failed functioning." Golan accused Netanyahu and his associates of trying to "rewrite history and blame those who woke up and went to fight for their homes."
The Kan News report further revealed that even after two phone calls from the Military Secretary to the Prime Minister at 6:29 AM and 6:40 AM on October 7th, Netanyahu did not request to speak with the IDF Chief of Staff. According to sources familiar with the matter, the first conversation between Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi only occurred during a situation assessment after 9:00 AM, with a situation update led by the Prime Minister at 9:45 AM. This report follows Netanyahu's recent claim in a video that he was intentionally not woken up the night before the attack due to "miscalculation considerations" to prevent him from ordering a preemptive strike on Gaza.
