\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, February 5, 2026 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL\/FLASH90)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
He emphasized that ultimate responsibility for the country\u2019s security lies with the prime minister: \u201cIn his hands is the supreme authority, and upon him is the responsibility,\u201d Lapid said.<\/p>\n
Lapid: Netanyahu blocked full October 7 investigation<\/h3>\n The opposition leader accused Netanyahu of blocking the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the attack, thereby preventing a \u201cfull and transparent investigation that would prevent another failure and lead to the correction of flaws in the political and security systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
In doing so, Lapid said, the prime minister was \u201charming the security of the state.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recalling an August 2023 security briefing, Lapid said, \u201cThe intelligence materials presented to me horrified me. They clearly pointed to a danger of escalation at levels entirely different from anything we had known in recent years.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also expressed concern at what he described as Netanyahu\u2019s \u201ccomplacency\u201d in the face of serious warnings raised at the time.<\/p>\n
In a press conference held in September, Lapid warned of a potential escalation across multiple fronts, including the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the eve of Yom Kippur, I am forced to warn the citizens of Israel: we are approaching a dangerous proximity to a violent confrontation,\u201d he had said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the heads of the security establishment – the IDF, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), Police, and intelligence agencies – are warning the government and the cabinet of a violent escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lapid asked, \u201cIf the leader of the opposition knew, how can the prime minister claim he did not? If the leader of the opposition was familiar with the intelligence warnings, how can the prime minister claim there were no warnings, or that the security establishment hid the severity of the situation from him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lapid also raised questions about Netanyahu\u2019s timeline of events on the morning of the October 7 attack. According to the prime minister\u2019s testimony, he received a report of the assault at 6:29 a.m., but did not hold a situation assessment until 9:50 a.m.<\/p>\n
Lapid questioned what could have happened during the three-hour gap.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no obstacle to holding a situation assessment via the Red Phone with all senior members of the security establishment. Their physical presence is not required.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lapid addressed a document from the Shin Bet director dated October 7 at 5:15 a.m., suggesting that Netanyahu\u2019s narrative implied former director Ronen Bar had fabricated the documentation.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that the records were stored in Shin Bet\u2019s internal system, which cannot be retroactively edited.<\/p>\n
Lapid also criticized Netanyahu\u2019s handling of Qatari funding sent to the Gaza Strip. In his testimony, the prime minister claimed that \u201cthe Qatari grant funds were not directed directly to terrorism.\u201d However, Lapid said, former Shin Bet director Nadav Argaman had already presented intelligence in mid-2019 showing that Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif and the group\u2019s military wing received approximately $4 million per month from the grant, specifically for weapons procurement.<\/p>\n
Section 6 of the prime minister\u2019s testimony, Lapid said, clearly showed Netanyahu was aware of how the funds were being used.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu claimed that \u201cnot a single official recommended reducing the funds flowing to the Strip,\u201d but Lapid countered that both the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence had recommended finding alternative channels for the money. \u201cPrime Minister Netanyahu knew that the Qatari money was used to buy weapons and decided to ignore the information,\u201d Lapid said.<\/p>\n
He concluded, \u201cIt is not true that the October 7 disaster was inevitable. With different conduct and a different policy, it could have been prevented.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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