Netanyahu campaigning to acquit himself of October 7 failure

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
21 Oct 2023 19:08
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Netanyahu is collecting files that would see blame for the October 7 intelligence failure dumped on other officials amid Israeli discontent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting with US President Joe Biden in "Tel Aviv", occupied Palestine, October 18, 2023. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is running a campaign to undermine Israeli military chiefs in order to acquit himself of responsibility for the defeat suffered on October 7, Israeli Channel 12 reported, citing military sources.

According to the Israeli outlet, Netanyahu is collecting reports and information that would aid his claim to avoid responsibility for the intelligence and military failure.

The Palestinian Resistance led by Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades launched a wide-scale precise attack on Israeli military sites and settlements in Gaza's Envelope. Operation Al-Aqsa Flood showcased the Resistance's readiness and exemplary tactics that saw the complete failure of the Israeli occupation forces' Gaza Division.

Following the shock that hit Israeli society, a significant majority of Israelis said they believe that Netanyahu should publicly acknowledge responsibility for the intelligence and military failures that preceded the attack, as per a Maariv newspaper opinion poll.

Senior officials, including the Occupation Army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Security Minister Yoav Gallant, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, as well as cabinet members such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have already accepted responsibility for the disastrous shortcomings of the Israeli military.

According to the survey, 80% of Israelis believe that Netanyahu should also accept responsibility publicly, a sentiment echoed by 69% of those who voted for Netanyahu’s Likud party in last year's election. Conversely, only 8% of settlers oppose this move.

When respondents were questioned about their preferred choice for prime minister, almost half of them (49%) chose Benny Gantz, while only 28% selected Netanyahu.

Furthermore, the poll revealed a preference for a full invasion of Gaza by 51% of participants compared to 31% who supported a limited attack.

Netanyahu has ignored his responsibility for the historical defeat on October 7 and has instead vowed to change the face of the Middle East and uproot Hamas from Gaza.

However, it seems that the war cabinet that includes opposition leader Benny Gantz has opted for the more grounded approach of a partial invasion into the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Moreover, the war cabinet is faced with mounting pressure due to the possibility of Hezbollah's full-scale participation in support of the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza if a full-scale invasion of the Strip were to be successful.

Internal discontent is pushing the war cabinet to produce results that would bring back the alleged Israeli deterrence against the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza, while these results might bring the region to an all-out war and further undermine the Israeli military. The two factors have put the Israeli military and political command in a state of paralysis, as options to redeem the trust of settlers are extremely limited.