Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused without evidence opposition politician and former Israeli army deputy chief of staff Yair Golan of possibly having prior knowledge of Hamas’s attack plan on 7 October 2023 before traveling to assist victims, amid a tense political atmosphere and sharp polarization ahead of the general election on 27 October.
Sara Netanyahu gave an interview on Channel 14, a pro-government broadcaster, questioning Yair Golan’s movements on the morning of 7 October 2023. She said he was able to "dress and prepare" and immediately reach the area very quickly, while others, including the prime minister, knew nothing. She suggested why the prime minister was not warned that war was about to break out.
In reality, Golan—who had been widely praised for driving to the massacre site at the Nova music festival to personally help victims—has consistently stated he headed south around 8:00 a.m., about an hour and a half after the attack began.
The allegation quickly became a heated political issue, with Golan confirming he will file a defamation lawsuit against the prime minister’s wife, as she is not protected by legal immunity.
Golan’s Democratic party issued a statement strongly condemning Sara Netanyahu’s remarks as slanderous and false, saying spreading conspiracy theories about Golan and damaging his heroic image on 7 October crossed a "red line bordering on madness." They added that while Netanyahu was busy making excuses and putting on makeup, Golan was out saving lives.
Former army chief and key election rival Gadi Eizenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett condemned the Netanyahu family for using false and dangerous conspiracy theories to incite hatred, shirk responsibility for the nation’s greatest failure, and cling to political power.
Sara Netanyahu’s accusations come amid political debate in Israel over why the country failed to prevent Hamas’s large-scale attack on 7 October 2023. The theory blaming "internal betrayal" has spread within some Israeli political circles. An August poll for Channel 13 found 40% of Israelis and 63% of right-wing coalition supporters believed internal betrayal contributed to that day—the deadliest in Israeli history.
Earlier, Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s son, had suggested there was betrayal before the attack. However, Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament that despite a "serious intelligence failure" before 7 October, "there was no betrayal."
When asked directly about the conspiracy theory during an interview with Channel 14, Sara Netanyahu did not clearly deny it, saying only that she did not want to discuss the matter and believed a real investigative committee should be established.
So far, the Israeli government has not formed a state-level investigative committee to examine the failures leading to the attack, even though over three years have passed. The event has deeply divided Israeli society politically, and accusations over responsibility for the 7 October attack have become a key issue in the upcoming 27 October election, especially in the political battle between Netanyahu supporters and opposition forces seeking leadership change.
The Hamas attack on Israel resulted in approximately 1,221 deaths and 251 hostages taken, while Israel’s military response in the Gaza Strip has caused at least 73,454 deaths, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health data, which is recognized by the United Nations.