The question Netanyahu must answer: What did he know before October 7? - opinion

As Israelis prepare for the October 27 elections, the central question is what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew about the planned October 7, 2023, Hamas attack before it occurred. Reports from Haaretz, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal reveal that Netanyahu received warnings from UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in the days before the attack, but did not pass them to security chiefs. Netanyahu denies the warnings occurred and opposes an independent commission of inquiry.

As Israelis prepare for the October 27 elections, the central question is what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew about the planned October 7, 2023, Hamas attack before it occurred. The article, an opinion piece by Douglas Bloomfield, draws a parallel to the Watergate hearings and Senator Howard Baker's famous question: "What did the president know, and when did he know it?" Reports from Haaretz, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal reveal that Netanyahu received warnings from UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in the days before the attack. Haaretz reported that bin Zayed phoned Netanyahu in late September 2023 to warn him that Hamas was planning a major attack. The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic reported that Egypt's intelligence chief secretly went to Israel 11 days before October 7 to warn Netanyahu. Yoav Galant, then defense minister, said Netanyahu never informed him or the IDF chief of staff of these warnings. According to The New York Times, Netanyahu did not pass the warnings on to security chiefs. Netanyahu and his allies deny these meetings or warnings ever took place and have sought to blame security and intelligence officials. The article argues that Netanyahu's opposition to an independent commission of inquiry mirrors the cover-up that destroyed Nixon's presidency, and that the Israeli people need and deserve to know the truth.