Former IDF chief of staff Dan Halutz accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of knowing more than he disclosed ahead of the October 7 massacre and of concealing information, saying in an interview with 103FM that ultimate responsibility for the failure rests with the prime minister.
Halutz, speaking on 103FM, responded to the Haaretz report that Netanyahu received an explicit warning days before the October 7 massacre during a conversation with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed.
Halutz first said he believed the conversation had indeed taken place.
"What could be simpler for the Emirati prince than to say there was no conversation if there was no conversation? That is why I believe there was one. But what I believe is irrelevant today. There are so many supporting reasons to understand that the man knew far more than he told those responsible for solving the problems afterward. Because he was incapable of solving the problems. He knew and concealed it."
Halutz then addressed the claim that Netanyahu had been warned but failed to act.
Halutz: Netanyahu received pre-Oct. 7 warnings but left security discussions without decisions
"I don't know how to get inside the mind of this psychopath. What goes through his head? Only he knows. And maybe the people who treat him.
"At the same time, the facts speak for themselves. You can keep asking 'why?' until the day after tomorrow. I don't know how to say why. I'm not a psychiatrist or a brain doctor. What I can say is that there are too many supporting reasons showing that there was information that the man concealed," he said.
"He did not imagine that it would reach that point," Halutz added.
"But he was prepared to absorb something. I am speculating here. It could be that, in certain circumstances, the man felt he was being blackmailed by the Qataris as a result of the entire system of money that flowed between Qatar and Hamas. And I don't know what was going through his mind when he didn't pass that information to the intelligence agencies. A primal fear that perhaps they would act and do something he did not want because it would set the region alight. At least that is what he said."
Halutz later responded to a report that Hamas had also conveyed a warning before the conversation with MBZ, and that no decision was made at the conclusion of a security discussion convened by Netanyahu.
"The bottom line of a discussion convened by the prime minister is the responsibility of the prime minister, not the other participants in the discussion. You can constantly level accusations at the supporting actors in the film. But in the end, if the film is bad, you blame the lead actor."
"He should have summed up the discussion if he thought the discussion warranted a conclusion," Halutz said. "Ask those who participated in discussions with Netanyahu, and many will tell you that one of the things he does not do is sum up discussions. He leaves them hanging in the air. Why? Because when you summarize, ultimately you say something definitive. You don't summarize with a foggy conclusion. When you do something definitive, you compel others, or yourself, to take action."
"I agree that the failure was total, broad, and included everyone," the former IDF chief said.
"But all the others have disappeared. They are no longer in the picture. One person remains on the table. Let the public decide and eat what he is cooking. I call on the public to understand: You must not elect a person who failed so totally in every respect."
Halutz continued, broadening his criticism beyond October 7.
"For a moment, I'm leaving aside the most terrible thing. Education: we have deteriorated to unimaginable places. Health: doctors are leaving the country. Should I keep listing things? Transportation, murders, and all of these things. There is one common denominator: The person responsible for everyone responsible is the prime minister."
Asked whether he was satisfied with the opposition leaders' campaign against Netanyahu ahead of the elections, Halutz replied: "There is a very high chance that the opposition will win. As for the campaign, I would try to be much more aggressive in this fight."