Ekhbary News Agency | May 12, 2024
Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has ignited a political firestorm by implying that opposition politician Yair Golan possessed prior knowledge of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Speaking to the right-wing broadcaster C14, her remarks were widely interpreted by Israeli media as lending credence to circulating conspiracy theories.
Accusations Fuel Election Tensions
Netanyahu suggested that Golan, a former general hailed as a hero for rescuing civilians during the assault, might have had early intelligence regarding the events. She stated, "If you are such a high-ranking military official who claims that you are fighting, that you were there on October 7 early in the morning, already dressed and ready, at a very, very early hour, when others, including the prime minister, knew nothing." These statements, it appears, aim to deflect responsibility from the government's security failures.
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Outcry and Electoral Implications
Yair Golan vehemently condemned Sara Netanyahu's comments as "wild incitement" against him, announcing his intention to file a lawsuit. Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s main rival in the upcoming October 27 elections, also sharply criticized the remarks, labeling them a "crazy conspiracy theory of betrayal that has no factual basis whatsoever." These remarks exacerbate the already heated political climate in Israel, just ahead of crucial parliamentary elections, further polarizing public discourse. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel and the abduction of over 250 individuals to the Gaza Strip.
Golan's October 7 Actions and Warnings
The Hamas assault commenced at 6:29 AM local time. Golan had previously stated in interviews that he donned his old uniform around 8 AM or slightly later and headed south to engage in combat. Israeli journalist Nir Gontarz lauded Golan's role in rescuing his son from the Nova music festival, recounting, "I called Yair Golan and asked him for help... Golan asked for my son's exact location and immediately said: 'I'll get him for you.'" Golan recently warned that Netanyahu might orchestrate a security crisis to delay or disrupt the elections, asserting that the conservative prime minister "knows no red line when it comes to using national security for political or personal purposes."
