Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a criminal probe into the newspaper Haaretz and reporter Shlomi Eldar. This follows a report alleging the leader received a pre-attack warning from the United Arab Emirates regarding the October 7 Hamas assault .
Netanyahu’s defense against the "completely fabricated" UAE warning
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the claims made by Haaretz as entirely untrue. The Prime Minister's Office maintains that there was no contact with Emirati representatives during September or early October 2023, a period leading up to the Hamas attack. According to the Prime Minister's Office, a review of telephone records and official government ledgers shows no evidence of any such communication.
The ruling Likud party has gone further, suggesting the report was a calculated attempt to influence the upcoming elections on October 27. A senior Likud official alleged that the story was part of a politically motivated campaign designed to damage the Prime Minister's reputation through false libel.
Bennett and Gantz demand a state commission of inquiry
The political tension in Israel has escalated as opposition leaders Naftali Bennett, Benny Gantz,and Yair Golan call for a formal investigation. These leaders are demanding an immediate state commission of inquiry to examine the intelligence failures surrounding the October 7 incident. They argue that the Israeli public has a right to know if Netanyahu ignored direct warnings.
This push for accountability comes amidst a broader struggle for control over Israel's political future. While the opposition has pledged to establish such a commission if they form the next government, Netanyahu has resisted these calls. He argues that any formal investigation into responsibility should be delayed until the current hostilities have subsided.
The alleged failure of Ronen Bar and Herzi Halevi
Beyond the Prime Minister, the controversy has cast a shadow over the top levels of Israel's security establishment. As reported by the source, the Haaretz story implicated former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former army chief Herzi Halevi. The report suggests these officials failed to act on intelligence indications that were reportedly available hours before the Hamas assault began.
The mystery of the alleged left-wing funding
Several critical details regarding the origins of the Haaretz report remain unverified. While a Likud official claimed the story received "payment from a left-wing organisation connected to Yair Golan's Democratic party," no evidence has been publicly produced to confirm this transaction. Furthermore, the specific nature of recent secret liaisons between the United Arab Emirates and Israeli officials remains a subject of intense speculation .
It also remains unclear whether the legal pursuit of Shlomi Eldar and Haaretz will succeed under Israeli defamation laws . The outcome of this dispute could significantly impact how the Israeli media covers sensitive security matters in the future.
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