New Otzma Yehudit Candidate Questions Netanyahu's Pre-Oct 7th Knowledge

Gadi Mazuz, former deputy mayor of Beersheba and a new candidate for the Knesset with the Otzma Yehudit party, has voiced concerns regarding reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received explicit intelligence warnings days before the October 7th Hamas attacks but allegedly did not update the IDF and Shin Bet.

Mazuz stated in an interview with Walla that while he personally does not know if the reports are true, "If it is true, it is very serious and very worrying." He questioned whether the Prime Minister and senior security officials were aware and failed to act, emphasizing, "The question is whether it is true."

He also addressed the reported tensions between Netanyahu and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, dismissing them as "empty words." Mazuz suggested that political pronouncements made now, especially regarding potential future coalitions, should be viewed with skepticism until after the elections. He noted that political alliances and compositions can change significantly once election results are known, implying that current disputes might be resolved or altered.

Separately, a senior minister reportedly told Israel Hayom that Netanyahu was angered by Ben-Gvir's decision to halt a round of senior police appointments. According to this minister, Netanyahu privately declared he would "never again take Ben-Gvir into a government under any circumstances" and would even consider forming a government with Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman to avoid dependency on Ben-Gvir. Mazuz also urged Netanyahu to appreciate Ben-Gvir's loyalty to the coalition throughout the term, which he argued prevented its collapse.