Former Defense Minister Gallant Questions Netanyahu's Actions on Oct. 7

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has publicly challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's account of his actions and demeanor in the immediate aftermath of the October 7th Hamas attacks. In an interview with Channel 12, Gallant stated he did not see Netanyahu at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv until approximately 10:00 AM, more than three and a half hours after the attack began. Gallant also expressed uncertainty about whether he spoke with the Prime Minister by phone in the initial hours, but emphasized that no substantive conversation took place.

Gallant further disputed the notion that Netanyahu maintained full control during the critical early days following the assault. He suggested observers examine photographs from meetings to gauge the state of various leaders, noting his own lack of pretense, "I wasn't wearing makeup." Gallant described Netanyahu as either attempting to shape a specific narrative or being so consumed by the situation that he fostered an "atmosphere of defeatism," which he found deeply concerning.

The former minister also cast doubt on Netanyahu's claim that the situation might have unfolded differently had he been awakened earlier. Gallant pointed out that even after waking at 6:30 AM, Netanyahu did not arrive at the Kirya military headquarters until around 10:00 AM, suggesting a similar delay would have occurred regardless of an earlier wake-up call.

The Likud party, Netanyahu's party, vehemently rejected Gallant's statements, accusing him of lying. Likud asserted that Netanyahu was at the Kirya by 8:22 AM, waiting for Gallant and the chief of staff until 9:55 AM, though they did not specify his activities during that time. The party also claimed that a comprehensive situation assessment was not available to present to Netanyahu in the initial hours of the attack.