Lapid Details Intelligence That Led to His October 7 Warning
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has revealed the intelligence he saw prior to the October 7 Hamas attack, explaining his decision to publicly warn the nation two weeks before the assault. Lapid stated that he had access to "exclusively alarming" intelligence and believes the country's leadership received sufficient warnings but failed to act.
On September 20, 2023, two weeks before the attack, Lapid held a press conference, which he now calls the "September Warning," cautioning that Israel was approaching a "dangerous multi-arena armed confrontation." He recently explained that this warning stemmed from intelligence briefings he received directly from then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lapid recounted being shown classified materials during a security briefing with Netanyahu, which he found "shocking" due to their clarity and the perceived danger. He emphasized that this was the only time he felt compelled to issue such a public warning, having participated in numerous security discussions over a decade in various government roles.
He also expressed shock at Netanyahu's "complete complacency" in the face of these warnings, describing the prime minister as "bored" and believing he knew best. Lapid asserted that Netanyahu had stopped listening, a common outcome for leaders who remain in power too long. He noted that the heads of the IDF, Shin Bet, and other security agencies had repeatedly warned the government of an impending catastrophe.
Lapid acknowledged that the security chiefs bore responsibility but stressed that the ultimate decision-making power rested with the prime minister. He mentioned that Netanyahu also received warnings from the President of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed, and the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, which were also reportedly ignored. Netanyahu has publicly disputed receiving such a warning from the UAE president.
Instead of increasing border readiness, Lapid stated that Netanyahu downplayed the warnings publicly, appearing on television to dismiss them as exaggerated. Lapid concluded that if Netanyahu had taken the intelligence seriously, the October 7 attack could have been prevented, asserting that such an event would not have occurred under his own leadership or that of previous prime ministers.
