On Saturday, attacks escalated in Israeli circles against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , due to his disregard for the warnings that preceded the October 7, 2023 attack.
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Politicians and media figures held him responsible for not taking action to prevent the attack despite warnings he allegedly received from several sources, driven by his “arrogance and conceit.” They accused him of committing a “grave crime” by ignoring and concealing information about these warnings, and others linked this to the large number of Israeli deaths during the attack.
The accusations escalated in conjunction with Israeli and international reports that spoke of warnings preceding the attack from Egypt, the UAE, and from within Israel, amid denials from Netanyahu's office of some of these accounts.
In the latest development on this matter, the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz reported today claims by the American magazine The Atlantic that the then-head of Egyptian General Intelligence, Abbas Kamel, “secretly visited Israel on September 26, 2023,” 11 days before the attack, and “warned that Hamas was preparing to launch a major attack.”
According to the investigation, “Kamel conveyed a warning that the situation in Gaza is heading towards an explosion if Israel does not change its policy towards the sector.”
the Egyptian authorities confirming or denying what The Atlantic investigation reported regarding the visit and the warning attributed to Kamel.
Haaretz also published an investigation on September 8, claiming that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed “warned Netanyahu about 10 days before the October 7 attack that Hamas was preparing for a major attack.”
Netanyahu did not pass the warning on to senior security officials.
Netanyahu’s office denied the account, saying that he had not spoken with Mohammed bin Zayed during the period in question and had not received any warning from him, and announced that it was filing a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz and the journalists responsible for the report.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said that the government “does not comment on media reports or speculations regarding talks between government leaders.”
The ministry noted that government entities in both the UAE and Israel “have maintained open and direct communication channels since relations between the two countries began more than 5 years ago.”
She added: “When needed, all relevant intelligence information was and continues to be exchanged between the concerned parties.”
Meanwhile, Netanyahu received warnings from Israeli security agencies about the possibility of an attack, but he did not hold a meeting to discuss them.
She added, citing unnamed security officials, that Netanyahu did not inform the Shin Bet the Mossad or the Aman about those warnings.
“Ignored and concealed the information”
In response to the report, Vladimir Bialik, a Knesset member from the Yesh Atid party led by opposition leader Yair Lapid, said that such warnings “have not led to a change in policy or any sufficient preparation from Netanyahu’s government.”
Bialik added in a statement that “Netanyahu’s disregard for all the warnings issued before October 7 caused the killing of 1,200 Israelis in one day,” as he put it.
Netanyahu was held responsible for what he called "the horrific massacre that took place."
serious crime
In a similar vein, Israeli writer Yair Navot, writing in Yediot Aharonot, said, “This warning gives us a grim picture of reality. Netanyahu not only ignored what was conveyed to him, but also chose to conceal the information he received.”
Navot added, in a post on the platform of the American company “X”, that “ignoring and concealing this information has effectively weakened the readiness of the security forces significantly,” according to him.
He believed that a different approach to that information would have reduced, delayed, or prevented some of the repercussions of the attack.
He described Netanyahu’s actions as “a grave crime whose seriousness cannot be overstated,” linking this to the Israeli Prime Minister’s refusal to form a broad-based official commission of inquiry into the events of October 7.
Netanyahu demanded “clear answers” regarding the information he received and how to deal with it, saying he “fears the truth will be revealed.”
"Arrogant and conceited"
Former Israeli military intelligence officer Barak Seri said that Netanyahu “is doing everything he can to prevent the formation of an official commission of inquiry.”
Serry added, that Netanyahu received “many warnings prior to the attack, but he was arrogant and conceited and did not take action,” as he put it.
He continued: “The testimonies appeared in media reports all over the world. They warned him and cautioned him, but he ignored everything.”
He believed that what those warnings revealed was behind Netanyahu's opposition to forming an official commission of inquiry.
He concluded his post by saying: “Now the facts are clear: days before the disaster, all the red lights were flashing in front of Netanyahu, both inside and outside the country, but he did nothing.”
On numerous occasions, Netanyahu refused to form an “official” commission of inquiry with broad powers regarding the failure of October 7, and called for the formation of a “political” commission with limited powers, which the opposition rejected, considering it an attempt by the Prime Minister to “remain in power.”
“Netanyahu’s appeal is over.”
For her part, former Meretz party leader Zehava Galon believes that Netanyahu is facing increasing political exhaustion in the wake of the October 7th affair.
She said, that “Netanyahu’s time of charismatic charm is over.”
He heard and ignored
He added that the Israeli Prime Minister had received “numerous warnings from here and there, but he ignored and overlooked them.”
The escalating attack against Netanyahu regarding his role in failing to prevent the October 7 attack comes as campaigns and political debate intensify ahead of the Knesset elections scheduled for October 27, at a time when recent polls show the opposition gaining ground, while his coalition remains without the majority needed to form a government.
October 7 background
On October 7, 2023, Hamas and Palestinian factions launched an attack on Israeli military sites and settlements along the Gaza Strip, resulting in the killing and capture of Israelis.
Hamas said the attack was in response to “the daily crimes of the occupation against the Palestinian people and their holy sites, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The movement confirmed that its operation primarily targeted military objectives, and that its instructions to the fighters were to avoid targeting civilians.
She also attributed the killing and wounding of Israeli settlers during the attack to the chaos that followed the breach of the fence and the entry of people from Gaza and members of other factions who she said were not part of her plan. She also attributed the killing of some Israelis to fire from Israeli forces.
The day after the attack, Israel, with American support, began a war of extermination on the Gaza Strip, which continues in various forms, leaving approximately 74,000 Palestinian dead and about 175,000 wounded, in addition to widespread destruction affecting about 90 percent of the infrastructure in the Strip.
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