Bennett Accuses Netanyahu of 'Blood Libel' Over October 7th Betrayal Claims

Naftali Bennett, chairman of the "Bayit Yehudi" party, launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of perpetrating a "blood libel" by suggesting betrayal was involved in the October 7th Hamas attacks. Bennett stated that Netanyahu is deliberately fueling this narrative, knowing millions of Israelis believe it, to deflect responsibility.

Bennett declared that Israel is in a "diplomatic state of emergency," asserting that despite military successes, the nation's political decisions are being made far from Jerusalem, with foreign leaders shaping Israel's future and hostile nations defining its borders. He pledged that a future government led by him would declare a state of diplomatic emergency and take actions to restore Israel's standing, which he claims has been in decline for four years.

Addressing relations with the United States, Bennett praised President Trump as the most supportive president Israel could ask for but lamented the lack of a willing Israeli partner for diplomatic achievements. He contrasted this with Netanyahu's government, which he characterized as hindering progress. Regarding Iran, Bennett vowed to continue the "octopus strategy" to impose direct costs on Iran and revive a plan to weaken the regime, which he initiated as prime minister but was halted by the current government.

Bennett also outlined plans for the northern and Gaza fronts, aiming to leverage a unique window of opportunity to dismantle Hezbollah through economic strangulation and diplomatic moves. He also committed to completing the mission in Gaza that the outgoing government failed to achieve, by dismantling Hamas and expelling Qatar and Turkey, while engaging Egypt and other nations.

Bennett's remarks follow a previous day's criticism of Netanyahu regarding a controversial interview given by Netanyahu's wife, Sara. Bennett detailed Netanyahu's alleged tactic of spreading a "false and vile conspiracy theory about betrayal" to divide the nation, damage public trust in security forces, and then issue a late-night apology after the harm is done. He accused Netanyahu of using the narrative to absolve himself of direct responsibility for the October 7th massacre, calling it a desperate and ultimately futile attempt.

Netanyahu himself had previously stated that while he believed there was a significant failure leading up to October 7th, he did not believe there was a betrayal. He recounted that decisions were made not to provoke Hamas, and he was not woken up to be informed of the impending attack. His wife, Sara Netanyahu, had made comments in an interview that were interpreted as questioning the prime minister's awareness of the unfolding events and expressing skepticism about a state investigation committee. Following her remarks, Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats, sent Sara Netanyahu a legal warning for defamation, demanding a public apology and financial compensation for survivors of the Nova music festival. Sara Netanyahu responded to the warning, calling the claims "wild lies."