Netanyahu Accused of Blame-Shifting Over October 7 Failures

Close associates of former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to evade responsibility for the failures leading up to the October 7 Hamas attacks. The accusations came after Netanyahu alleged that Bar "committed crimes" and knew of a "real danger" on the eve of the attacks but failed to inform him or warn forces, including the Nova music festival.

Sources close to Bar, as reported by Walla!, countered that Netanyahu, "losing his temper again," is deflecting blame, especially in light of prior warnings he received from regional leaders and security chiefs. They expressed hope for an independent investigation into the events preceding October 7. Bar's associates denied Netanyahu's claim that Bar spoke with security officials that night, stating that the Prime Minister's military secretariat was informed at 3 AM. They asserted that Netanyahu "insults the truth and the memory of the dead to escape responsibility."

Netanyahu had claimed Bar held numerous discussions with then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and former Military Intelligence head Aharon Haliva about indications of Hamas preparations, and that Bar chose not to inform him. Netanyahu also denied a Wall Street Journal report that then-Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel had warned him of an impending attack in early October 2023, stating he never met or spoke with Kamel and that no Israeli intelligence official conveyed such a warning. He announced legal action for libel over the report.

Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yishai party, launched a sharp attack on Netanyahu, calling him "a liar and dangerous to Israel." Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of "spreading poisonous lies and dangerous conspiracy theories about treason" in a "desperate attempt to distance responsibility from himself." He further alleged that Netanyahu is "tearing Israel apart from the inside," and that the Prime Minister's office ignored warnings and intelligence in the months and weeks prior to October 7, and on the night itself. Eisenkot concluded that Netanyahu "is afraid, is a liar, and above all is dangerous to the State of Israel."