In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, MK Avigdor Lieberman held Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu directly accountable for the events of October 7. Lieberman criticized Netanyahu for attempting to deflect responsibility, suggesting that any blame should be directed towards Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar in an effort to avoid facing the consequences of his own actions.
Lieberman claimed that Netanyahu’s attempt to suggest a conspiracy was nothing more than a “pathetic” excuse to evade personal accountability for the failure. “If there is a conspiracy, it is related to only one thing: Netanyahu’s own rule,” Lieberman wrote. He went on to highlight an agreement made in 2009 between Likud and Yisrael Beytenu, which included a strategic goal to dismantle Hamas’ control over Gaza. Lieberman argued that since then, Netanyahu had done nothing but support and strengthen Hamas, allowing the group to maintain its rule in Gaza rather than fostering the Palestinian Authority’s leadership.
Lieberman went further, pointing to several actions by Netanyahu that, according to him, only aided Hamas, including the 2011 Gilad Shalit deal that involved the release of Yahya Sinwar, ceasefire decisions made during Operation Protective Edge, and the approval of Qatari financial transfers to Gaza despite opposition from Israel’s defense officials. “As Defense Minister, I submitted to him a document outlining Hamas’ plan to breach the border fence, take over communities, and take hostages—everything came true,” Lieberman noted. “Netanyahu knew exactly what Hamas was planning and even spoke about it publicly in a 2017 discussion in the State Control Committee. Yet, he continued the policy of containment, arrangements, and financial transfers.”
Lieberman also criticized Netanyahu for preventing the targeting of Hamas leaders, despite numerous requests from the defense establishment to do so. “Even the Shin Bet chiefs appointed by him—Nadav Argaman and Yoram Cohen—testified that when they sought to eliminate Hamas’ leadership, Netanyahu consistently opposed it,” Lieberman wrote. He also referred to a personal connection between Netanyahu and Sinwar, revealing a message exchanged between the two, via Meir Ben-Shabbat, former head of the National Security Council. Lieberman quoted Sinwar’s note, which referred to a “calculated risk,” and remarked, “and the rest is bloody history.”
In his conclusion, Lieberman stated that while he did not believe in any conspiracy or betrayal, he was certain of Netanyahu’s leadership in the situation. “I do not believe there was a conspiracy or betrayal, but it is clear to me who led the concept: Netanyahu. He is directly responsible for it. Now he is merely trying to evade responsibility and prevent a state commission of inquiry—because he knows that the documented protocols will expose the truth.”
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