Netanyahu afraid of Oct. 7 probe as failures resurface: Israeli media
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An Israeli Channel 13 report blames the army, Mossad, and leadership for October 7 failures, while questioning Netanyahu’s refusal to allow an official inquiry.
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Israeli soldiers apprehended by Palestinian resistance fighters, October 7, 2023 (Screengrab)
“Israel’s” Channel 13 aired a report acknowledging serious failures by the military, Mossad, and intelligence services in their handling of the events of October 7, while raising concerns about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to authorize an official investigation.
Channel 13 analyst Eyal Markovich openly criticized the military’s lack of preparedness during the attack.
“The fundamental question is: Where was the army on October 7? Why weren't there hundreds of soldiers on the border? This clearly shows that the army failed.” Markovich asserted that the failure extended beyond the military alone.
“The Mossad, intelligence, military commanders, and political leadership bear significant responsibility for what happened,” he said.
Netanyahu’s avoidance of inquiry raises questions
The analyst questioned why Netanyahu has opposed an official inquiry into the events of October 7.
“If that is the case, why is Netanyahu afraid of an official inquiry?” Markovich asked, emphasizing that the lack of accountability from the highest levels of government is alarming, especially amid such systemic security and intelligence lapses.
He concluded by noting that the prime minister himself may have played a role, directly or indirectly, in the failures.
“There appear to be huge failures on the part of the army, intelligence, Mossad, and all sector commanders, amid indications that the prime minister played a role, large or small, in the failures that occurred on October 7.”
The broadcast adds to the growing number of internal voices within “Israel” demanding transparency, accountability, and a thorough examination of the events leading up to one of the most significant breaches in recent history.
Fleeing official probe, Netanyahu eyed private committee for Oct. 7
In November 2024, senior officials from the Israeli military said that there had been a significant delay in presenting the findings of the investigations into the events of October 7, 2023.
They emphasized that this delay persists, although many of the investigations are already completed and have been submitted to lower-level officials, with some ready to be presented to the former Israeli Chief of Staff.
Amid this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was advocating for the creation of a private committee of inquiry into the failures of October 7, "to prevent the formation of an official state commission of inquiry," according to Israel Hayom.
The newspaper cites informed sources on the proposal for a "private investigation committee," which would include a judge, representatives from the military, and family members of those killed or taken captive on October 7.
The sources explained that committee members would be selected through an agreement between the coalition and the opposition, given the significant mistrust between the government and the judiciary.
Read more: IOF suffered 'historic, unprecedented' failure on Oct 7 attack: Maariv
