Israel confronts painful truths as leadership defends institutions, rejects treason myths, demands accountability not conspiracies.
During a tense session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly addressed one of the gravest accusations surrounding the October 7 attacks: claims of internal betrayal within Israel’s security establishment.
Netanyahu categorically dismissed the allegation, stressing that the catastrophe stemmed from a profound intelligence failure—not treason. Responding to a question by MK Hili Tropper, he stated unequivocally, “There was no betrayal,” adding that he sought to dispel the “cloud of betrayal” unfairly cast over prewar security leadership.
The Prime Minister argued that years of prevailing assumptions—shared across political and security circles—held that Hamas was deterred and uninterested in escalation. He cited cabinet-era views attributed to former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former IDF Chief Gadi Eisenkot, asserting these perceptions shaped policy decisions.
The discussion erupted when MK Tally Gotliv shouted that betrayal had occurred, while opposition members exited the room, accusing Netanyahu of politicizing classified protocols.
Netanyahu further revealed that a Shin Bet warning document issued at 5:15 a.m. on October 7 reached his office only at 9:47 a.m. He alleged that later versions—signed by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar—retroactively added instructions to update the Prime Minister. These findings, Netanyahu said, were submitted to State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman, who reacted with shock.
