Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israel’s prime minister, sparked a dispute with the opposition after implying that Yair Golan, leader of The Democrats party, had known in advance about Hamas’s plan to carry out the 7 October 2023 attack, less than two months before Israel’s legislative elections scheduled for 27 October.
Accusation draws opposition backlash
In an interview broadcast by Israel’s Channel 14 on Monday, Netanyahu said Golan, a former deputy chief of staff of the army, had been ready and dressed from the early hours of the morning on the day of the attack, while no one else, including the prime minister, knew anything.
The Democrats rejected Netanyahu’s remarks, describing them as “despicable and misleading”. On X, it said that promoting conspiracy theories against Golan and distorting what it described as his heroism on 7 October constituted crossing a red line.
Promoting conspiracy theories against Golan and distorting his heroism on 7 October constitute crossing a red line.
Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff and one of the most prominent potential challengers to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, criticised what he called “a deranged treason theory”. In a post on X, he said the prime minister’s wife’s remarks were aimed at stoking hatred and prolonging Netanyahu’s rule.
Belief in “internal treason”
The accusations come amid the spread of a belief among some Israelis that internal treason preceded the attack. A poll conducted for Israel’s Channel 13 in August found that 40% of Israelis and 63% of supporters of the governing right-wing coalition believe that “internal treason” was behind the 7 October attack.
Netanyahu continues to reject responsibility for the attack, saying security officials should have woken him from his sleep. For years, he had presented himself as the guarantor of Israel’s security, and he is its longest-serving prime minister.
Toll of the attack and war in Gaza
The 7 October attack killed 1221 people, according to official Israeli figures, and 251 hostages were taken to Gaza. In response, Israel’s war in the territory has killed more than 73,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, whose data the United Nations considers reliable.
