A former close aide to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he was ordered to silence calls for accountability after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the two-year war in Gaza.
The Allegations
Former Netanyahu spokesperson Eli Feldstein told Israel’s Kan news channel that the first task he received after the attack was to stifle media scrutiny of the prime minister’s responsibility. He said, “He asked me, ‘What are they talking about in the news? Are they still talking about responsibility?'” Feldstein added, “He wanted me to think of something that could be said that would offset the media storm surrounding the question of whether the prime minister had taken responsibility or not.” He described Netanyahu as looking “panicked” when making the request and later reported that people close to the prime minister told him to omit the word “responsibility” from all statements.
Context of the Conflict
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel launched a war in Gaza that, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, has killed nearly 71,000 Palestinians-roughly half of whom were women and children.
Legal and Political Repercussions
Feldstein faces trial for allegedly leaking classified military information to a German tabloid in an effort to improve public perception of the prime minister after the killing of six hostages in Gaza in August of last year. He is also a suspect in the “Qatargate” scandal, accused of accepting money from Qatar while working for the prime minister. Netanyahu’s office called Feldstein’s interview a “long series of mendacious and recycled allegations made by a man with clear personal interests who is trying to deflect responsibility from himself,” Hebrew media reported.
Key Takeaways
- Feldstein claims Netanyahu instructed him to avoid public discussion of responsibility after the Oct. 7 attack.
- The war has resulted in nearly 71,000 Palestinian deaths, with about half being women and children.
- Feldstein is under investigation for leaking classified information and for alleged financial ties to Qatar.
The allegations add new scrutiny to Netanyahu’s handling of the crisis and highlight ongoing legal battles involving former aides.
