Netanyahu claims defense officials 'deliberately' failed to wake him on Oct. 7 morning

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has introduced a new and severe allegation into the ongoing national debate over the October 7 failures, claiming that the decision to keep him uninformed during the early hours of the Hamas invasion was intentional. According to reports by The Times of Israel and other outlets on Tuesday night, Netanyahu asserted that if he had been woken, the outcome of the day's events would have been different.

Escalating Friction

This claim represents the most direct accusation Netanyahu has leveled against the defense leadership to date. While the Prime Minister has previously discussed the lack of a timely update, this is the first instance where the term "deliberately" has been applied to the actions of security officials. The Prime Minister's account suggests a breakdown in the chain of command that was not merely a technical failure but a conscious choice by top-tier officials.

Context of the Allegation

The timing and nature of the Prime Minister's notification on October 7 have been a central point of contention. As The Zioneer reported earlier, previous accounts from Netanyahu and his supporters have highlighted that he was only fully briefed after the invasion was well underway. In July, Netanyahu told journalist Sharon Gal that security officials feared a "miscalculation" and that he would have ordered a preemptive strike had he been involved in the pre-dawn discussions. Similar allegations were previously voiced by former intelligence figures such as Tamir Morag, who claimed that Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar failed to notify the Prime Minister despite signs of unusual activity.

Analysis and Outlook

The security establishment has yet to issue a formal response to this specific allegation of deliberate exclusion. The claim adds further weight to the calls for a State Commission of Inquiry into the events of October 7, as it highlights a fundamental dispute between the political and military leadership over the integrity of the command structure. For the Israeli public, the assertion deepens the questions surrounding the "conceptzia"—the failed strategic assessment of Hamas—and whether internal friction between the Prime Minister's Office and the defense brass hampered the immediate response to the terror group's assault.