Professor Blames Ex-Shin Bet Chief, Intelligence Head for Oct. 7 Failures

Professor Moshe Cohen Eliya has accused former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former head of Military Intelligence Aharon Haliva of being the primary figures responsible for the strategic and tactical failures leading up to the October 7th Hamas attacks. Cohen Eliya stated that Bar and Haliva, whom he described as arrogant and brazen, represent the "old hegemony" and have never shown remorse, unlike IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who he noted has met with victims' families.

Cohen Eliya further criticized Haliva for not waking up on the night of the attacks and for his alleged mistreatment of a fallen soldier, Binyamin Shara, while also noting Haliva's failure to prepare for the "Jericho Walls" plan and his adherence to a flawed intelligence concept. He also pointed to Bar's refusal to resign, which he claims prolonged the search for a successor during a critical war period, and criticized Reichman University for offering Bar a position in public and political leadership, suggesting it "whitewashes" his role in the disaster.

The professor also addressed what he termed a "coordinated influence campaign" orchestrated by "left-wing media" and "hostile elements in Arab countries" to undermine Prime Minister Netanyahu's government, particularly concerning reports of an Egyptian intelligence warning prior to October 7th. Cohen Eliya questioned the details of this alleged meeting, noting Netanyahu's denial of any such meeting without the presence of the Israeli counterpart, and suggested that if such a meeting occurred, the Shin Bet chief might have been the Israeli official involved, raising further questions about why the warning was not acted upon.

Cohen Eliya concluded by stating that Israelis will not allow those responsible for the failures to escape accountability and invited Ronen Bar to sue him if he disputes the claims.