How Sara Netanyahu’s October 7 remark successfully hijacked the Israeli election agenda – analysis

Sara Netanyahu's recent remarks regarding Yair Golan's actions on October 7 have significantly influenced Israel's pre-election discourse, according to political strategist Moshe Klughaft. During a Channel 14 interview, Mrs. Netanyahu, visibly upset after being shown a clip of Golan at a protest, questioned how Golan was "already dressed and prepared; at a very early hour, when others did not know, such as the prime minister." This insinuation led to defamation lawsuits between her and Golan. The controversy has shifted public attention to the decision not to awaken Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 3 a.m. on October 7, when senior security officials discussed warning signs of an impending attack. While the Prime Minister denies a "betrayal," he attributes the events to a "major failure," arguing that security officials, believing Hamas was deterred, chose not to wake him to avoid escalation. This has brought the question of why he was not informed into the public debate, regardless of whether it validates conspiracy theories.