Israel! Party Demands Criminal Probe into Netanyahu's October 7th Statements

The Israel! party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, has formally requested the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, to launch a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. The party alleges that Netanyahu provided false and misleading information to the State Comptroller and the public regarding the failures leading up to the October 7th Hamas attack.

The demand stems from recent statements made by former Military Secretary Avi Gill in an interview with Yoav Limor in the "Hayom" magazine, as well as reports by journalist Ronen Bergman in "Yedioth Ahronoth" and broadcasts on Channel 12.

Israel! claims these reports suggest Netanyahu presented a partial and distorted picture of pre-attack intelligence documents. Specifically, they allege he omitted significant warnings and intelligence assessments concerning Hamas's growing strength, its alignment with Iran, and the escalating threat to Israel. A key point of contention is an intelligence document from October 3, 2023, just four days before the massacre, from which information was allegedly removed.

Avi Gill stated in his interview that the document submitted to the State Comptroller did not reflect the full truth. He also mentioned reporting an attempt to alter the time of a conversation he had with Netanyahu on the morning of October 7th, which he believed constituted a criminal act. Israel! argues that this behavior raises concerns about potential abuse of power, obstruction of future investigative committees, and an attempt to cover up the truth, particularly as Netanyahu reportedly opposes the establishment of a state commission of inquiry.

The party further alleges potential offenses of interfering with a public official and breach of trust, citing Section 239 of the Penal Code which penalizes knowingly submitting a false affidavit with up to three years imprisonment. "Netanyahu is not content with escaping responsibility for the October 7th failure. Now a serious suspicion arises that he is using his authority to hide the truth and mislead the State Comptroller and the citizens of Israel," the party stated, adding that the Prime Minister is acting as a censor for personal and propaganda convenience.

In response, the Likud party dismissed the allegations as part of a "false and political propaganda campaign" against Netanyahu. They asserted that Netanyahu did not receive advance warning of the Hamas attack and that the protocols submitted to the State Comptroller show that security officials repeatedly assessed Hamas as deterred and focused on a settlement. Israel! concluded that "the truth about October 7th is not Netanyahu's private property. The Israeli public is entitled to the full truth, to the clarification of responsibility, and to the full administration of justice."