Bennett Accuses Netanyahu of 'Blood Libel' Over October 7th Betrayal Claims

Naftali Bennett, chairman of the "Bayit Yehudi" party, sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, calling Netanyahu's recent statements regarding the October 7th attacks a "blood libel." Bennett asserted that Netanyahu is deliberately fueling the idea of betrayal to mislead millions of Israelis, despite knowing the truth. He argued that Israel is in a diplomatic crisis, with the military winning on the battlefield but failing to achieve victory due to political decisions made far from Jerusalem, foreign leaders influencing Israel's future, and hostile nations shaping its borders.

Bennett pledged that his future government would declare a diplomatic state of emergency and take actions to restore Israel's standing, which he claims has been in decline for four years. Addressing relations with the United States, he stated that President Trump is the most supportive president Israel could ask for, but lacks an Israeli partner to achieve diplomatic wins. Bennett promised his government would provide such a partner, unlike the current administration, which he accused of hindering progress.

Regarding Iran, Bennett vowed to continue the "octopus strategy" to impose direct costs on Iran and revive a plan he initiated as prime minister to weaken the regime, which he said was halted by the current government. For the northern front, he proposed exploiting a unique window of opportunity to dismantle Hezbollah through economic strangulation and diplomatic measures. In Gaza, he pledged to complete the mission the outgoing government failed at by dismantling Hamas, proposing to remove Qatar and Turkey from mediation and involve Egypt and other nations.

Netanyahu himself had previously addressed his wife Sara's interview on Channel 14, stating there was "no betrayal" on October 7th, but rather a "great failure." He explained that intelligence indicated an impending attack, but a decision was made based on miscalculation not to provoke Hamas or alert him. Sara Netanyahu, in her interview, questioned the role of Democratic Party Chairman Yair Golan and sarcastically asked why the prime minister needed to be informed of a war. She also expressed opposition to a state inquiry commission. Following her remarks, Golan sent a legal notice to Sara Netanyahu, demanding a public apology and financial compensation for survivors of the Nova music festival, or face a lawsuit for defamation of at least 2.5 million shekels. Sara Netanyahu responded to the notice, calling the claims "wild lies."