Journalist Questions Netanyahu's Claims on Pre-Oct 7 Warning

Veteran Israeli journalist Ayla Hasun expressed skepticism regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's denials of receiving a warning from the UAE president about an impending major event planned by Hamas leader Sinwar before the October 7th attacks. Speaking on Galei Yisrael radio, Hasun stated, "I don't know what the truth is. I know I was a political correspondent for many years. A conversation between a prime minister and a foreign leader is not a casual chat. It is documented in every way, and usually recorded. Therefore, there is either praise or blame. There is no middle ground." She questioned the timing and nature of Netanyahu's strong denial, suggesting it took time to formulate, and speculated that if the report were true, Netanyahu would be in a difficult position with the UAE president. Hasun emphasized that such high-level conversations are typically documented and called for the release of any such records.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu has sent a legal notice to the newspaper Haaretz, demanding an apology and NIS 1 million in compensation. The notice, issued through his lawyer Uriel Nissim, addresses a September 8th article alleging Netanyahu received a warning about Sinwar's intentions a week and a half before October 7th but failed to update security officials. Netanyahu's legal team asserts the report is "an absolute lie" and "completely baseless," denying he received a 45-minute call from the UAE president or any similar warning from Egypt. They claim the publication was malicious, intended to harm Netanyahu, and aimed to improperly influence election results, thereby "severely damaging the purity of elections."