As debate continues over the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, U.S. veteran Joseph said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must answer for the intelligence failure connected to the attack. Joseph argued that the attacks could not have taken place without the knowledge of Netanyahu’s government.
Joseph said he had previously visited Israel and that security measures in the country were extremely strict. He said Hamas had conducted exercises before Oct. 7 in open areas visible to everyone, rather than in tunnels. Joseph argued that Israelis therefore could not have been unaware that an attack was coming.
Claims of warnings from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates
Joseph also raised reports claiming that Netanyahu had been warned before the attack but failed to take precautions. He said there were claims that Egypt had sent Netanyahu a warning more than a week before the attack and that the United Arab Emirates had issued a similar warning in September 2023.
Joseph said these claims made it even more surprising that Netanyahu had not answered for the intelligence failure on Oct. 7. He argued that an accountability mechanism should be put in place, particularly by the United States.
Israeli and international media carried claims that United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had called Netanyahu before Oct. 7 to warn him about a possible attack from Gaza. There were also claims that Egypt had sent Netanyahu a warning before the attack.
Accusations between Netanyahu and Ronen Bar
In a statement, Netanyahu again rejected claims that Egypt had warned him before Oct. 7 about a possible attack from Gaza. He said he had instructed that defamation lawsuits be filed against those who raised the issue.
Netanyahu argued that former Shin Bet director Ronen Bar was trying to shift responsibility for the failures onto him. He claimed that Bar had not called to brief him or warned emergency teams and Israeli army units in the area. Netanyahu alleged that his political rivals ahead of the elections and foreign countries seeking the establishment of a Palestinian state were behind the reports.
A statement on behalf of Ronen Bar said he planned to file a defamation lawsuit against Netanyahu following the remarks. The statement called for the publication of evidence and documents concerning the information presented to Netanyahu before Oct. 7.
The same statement accused Netanyahu of conducting an unlimited smear campaign against Bar. It said Netanyahu had denied responsibility for three years and had prevented the establishment of a state commission of inquiry. It also alleged that Netanyahu was trying to divert attention by rejecting the warnings he had received before Oct. 7.
U.S. support for Israel and the election debate
Joseph argued that sending money and weapons to Israel was drawing increasing criticism from both sides of the political spectrum in the United States. He claimed that many people believed the current war in Iran had begun on Netanyahu’s orders following a presentation he gave to U.S. President Trump in the White House Situation Room.
Joseph also alleged that Netanyahu was trying to rally voters around him by focusing on the attack on Gaza and the Iran war ahead of the elections scheduled for Oct. 27.
In this context, assessments that political pressure on Netanyahu had increased ahead of the Oct. 27 elections also came to the fore, amid claims that he was losing support in opinion polls.
