Minister Miki Zohar (Likud) sparked controversy after claiming that the October 7 massacre committed by the Hamas terrorist organization was conceived during the previous government led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid.
“How does the extremist Islamist mind work? It exists in Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran - it identifies weakness when you are unclear toward your enemy. When they saw a government supported by an Islamist party, fragmented and unclear in its positions, they identified weakness. Anyone who thinks this won’t happen again if a similar government dependent on Arab parties is formed - the next October 7 is on the way," Zohar said in an interview with 103FM.
When asked whether he agreed with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s statement that partnering with Mansour Abbas was worse than October 7, Zohar replied: “I don’t think that was his intention, and his words were taken out of context. The Finance Minister knows that the October 7 event was the most difficult in Israel’s history since the state was founded. It was the hardest event we have ever experienced. Clearly, the event did not emerge in a vacuum."
He stressed that “the event indeed happened on our watch, but it was woven together during the previous term of Bennett and Lapid as prime ministers. We also know from the intelligence picture that Sinwar planned this when he saw the government’s weakness. When we returned to power, the disputes within the nation surrounding judicial reform began and division was created - that may have been a significant trigger for his decision."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded with a sharp attack.
“Miki, you were a minister in the government on October 7, Netanyahu was Prime Minister on October 7, Likud, Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit held all the security portfolios on October 7. 1,200 people were murdered on your watch. Hundreds were kidnapped on your watch.
“For three years now, every morning we wake up to another ‘cleared for publication’ announcement on your watch. Thirty thousand Hamas gunmen still control Gaza on your watch. You ignored all our warnings, all the alerts, strengthened Hamas as policy, and brought upon us the greatest disaster for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. At least do one thing: be ashamed."