Netanyahu and Lapid Trade Barbs on October 7th Anniversary

On the Gregorian anniversary of the October 7th massacre, a sharp political confrontation erupted between the Likud party and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid. The Likud party released a statement attacking media coverage and claims of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's responsibility for the failures leading up to the attack.

The Likud statement asserted that Netanyahu received no prior warning of the Hamas attack and that security officials presented him with assessments for months beforehand indicating Hamas was deterred and sought stability. The party presented intelligence documents and discussion summaries suggesting Hamas aimed to maintain stability in Gaza. The Likud claimed Netanyahu was first informed of the Hamas attack at 6:29 AM on October 7th, and that security elements who identified unusual signs overnight did not alert anyone in real-time, including the Prime Minister, police, or local communities. The party highlighted the government's wartime achievements, including operations in Gaza, against Hezbollah, and against Iran, framing the media criticism as a political effort to topple the right-wing government.

Lapid responded forcefully to the Likud's statement, calling the claims "lies." He posed questions suggesting Netanyahu received significant warnings and ignored them. Lapid stated he had publicly warned of a security threat a month prior, and that three months before the attack, the head of the Shin Bet security agency warned Netanyahu of an impending war. Lapid also alleged Netanyahu was aware of other warnings, including one called "perfect storm" predicting a multi-front escalation.

Furthermore, Lapid criticized the government's policy toward Hamas and its use of Qatari funds, claiming Netanyahu disregarded Shin Bet and Aman intelligence that these funds were supporting Hamas's military wing. Lapid concluded by stating that Netanyahu, as head of the system, was responsible for the October 7th massacre.