Israeli Agriculture Minister Calls October 7 Massacre Israel's Most Tragic Event

Avi Dichter, Agriculture Minister and member of Israel's security cabinet from the Likud party, described the October 7 massacre as the most tragic event in Israel's history during an interview on Kan Reshet Bet on Monday. He stated that Israel had not experienced anything like it since its founding, attributing the tragedy to severe intelligence and operational failures, and noted that the political leadership's ability to respond was even weaker than during the Yom Kippur War.

Dichter emphasized that the massacre in Gaza was unrelated to the West Bank, asserting that the West Bank was excluded from this attack. He blamed Hamas in Gaza, which had long prepared for such an event. Dichter criticized the 2005 decision to connect Gaza to Egypt, calling it a mistake he warned against while serving as head of the Shin Bet. He explained that Hamas was able to smuggle weapons from Iran through Sudan, Egypt, and Sinai into Gaza, enabling its military buildup alongside Israeli intelligence and military failures.

Regarding the peace plan proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration for Gaza, Dichter called it "disgusting," highlighting that it focused on dismantling Hamas's heavy weapons, whereas the October 7 attack was carried out with light and medium arms not covered by the agreement.

Ahead of upcoming elections, Dichter criticized former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, comparing him to a chameleon with many colors and warning that such inconsistency comes at a price. He also addressed Defense Minister Israel Katz’s live announcement of the dismissal of Central Command Chief Avi Blot, expressing confidence that Katz and the IDF Chief of Staff would resolve the matter internally and clarify the situation to the public.

On the issue of Jewish terrorism in the West Bank, Dichter urged caution against generalizations, noting that the Jewish leadership in the West Bank condemns such acts and that these perpetrators harm their own community, as well as the IDF, Israeli police, and Shin Bet operating there.