Who accuses Netanyahu of covering up October 7 does not know the truth — expert

Expert Liraz Margalit in an article for Maariv argues that criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the ignoring of a warning from the UAE president about a planned attack on October 7 is based on a misunderstanding of cognitive decision-making mechanisms. In her view, the problem is not negligence but the leader's entrenched worldview that prevented him from perceiving the signal.

Dr. Liraz Margalit, in an article for Maariv, argues that accusations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for concealing a warning about the planned October 7 attack are based on a misunderstanding of decision-making psychology. According to her information, UAE President Muhammad bin Zayed warned Netanyahu about a "major event" being prepared by Yahya Sinwar ten days before the attack. Netanyahu, according to available data, believed the threat concerned Judea and Samaria and did not pass the information to heads of security agencies (the Prime Minister's Office denies the conversation itself). Margalit explains this as confirmation bias: Netanyahu had built a model over years in which Hamas is deterred by military pressure and economic incentives (Qatari money since 2018). Reality long confirmed this model—in 2022 and May 2023, Hamas did not engage in conflicts. Information contradicting the established concept receives a "logical" explanation that fits the familiar worldview. Margalit cites research by social psychologist Ziva Kunda on motivational influence on information evaluation. She draws a parallel to 1973, noting the problem was not a lack of signals but the inability to break through the armor of entrenched perception. A future investigative commission will need to answer how to make leaders understand that their past experience can become an obstacle to understanding a changed reality.