Netanyahu says intelligence failures do not mean he must resign — Jerusalem Post

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that intelligence failures preceding the October 7 attack should not automatically lead to his resignation. In an interview with Army Radio, he compared the situation to intelligence failures before the attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Position on the investigation

Netanyahu supported his proposal to establish a national commission of inquiry with equal representation from the coalition and the opposition. According to him, a government commission would not be trusted by opposition supporters, while a state commission formed through the current judicial procedure might not be accepted by many of his supporters.

The prime minister also proposed using as a model the bipartisan commission established in the United States after the September 11 terrorist attacks. He repeated that if he had been awakened on the night before the attack and informed of unusual Hamas activity, he would have ordered military preparations and the cancellation of the Nova music festival.

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Iran warning and elections

Netanyahu said that the Israeli security system had repeatedly assessed that Hamas was deterred and did not expect a major attack from the Gaza Strip. Asked whether he had identified warning signs before the attack, the prime minister answered negatively.

Separately, he warned Iran that an attempt to attack Israel would receive an unprecedented response. Netanyahu said that Israel was prepared for various scenarios and would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons while he remains prime minister. He expressed hope that the October 27 elections would take place as scheduled, but suggested that Israel's adversaries could resort to attacks or missile strikes to create an impression of the country's vulnerability.