Lapid accuses Netanyahu of distorting security records to deflect blame for Oct. 7 failures
Lapid says a document submitted by Netanyahu to the state comptroller selectively misrepresents key security discussions and omits urgent warnings from top defense officials
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Monday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of intentionally distorting security records to deflect blame for the failures that preceded the October 7, 2023 attack.
Addressing a weekly meeting of his Yesh Atid party in the Knesset, Lapid sharply criticized a 55-page document released last week by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The document contains Netanyahu’s responses to State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman as part of the official investigation into the events surrounding the attack. Lapid claimed the text represents a “deliberate falsification of security protocols” from classified discussions, an act he said could amount to a serious breach of Israel’s state secrecy laws.
Netanyahu, in the document, argues—citing selective excerpts—that he repeatedly pushed for the targeted killing of Hamas leaders, proposals he says were consistently blocked by security officials. Lapid strongly rejected this version of events.
He highlighted a key security assessment meeting held on October 1, 2023, just days before the attack, alleging that the official record includes only a misleading fragment of the discussion. According to Lapid, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar warned at the meeting of multiple escalation scenarios and recommended taking targeted preventive measures in Gaza.
At the same time, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi reportedly called for preparations for a large-scale military operation.
Lapid stressed that these recommendations followed what he described as “particularly serious and urgent” intelligence warnings indicating Hamas was preparing for combat. “Everyone knew the threat was immediate and real,” he said, accusing Netanyahu of opening a “Pandora’s box” that he would ultimately be unable to close.
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