Netanyahu Claims Influence Over US War and October 7 Failures

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in televised interviews that he leveraged his influence and intimate knowledge of American leaders to convince the United States to enter a war against Iran. Netanyahu stated that his frequent appearances on American television helped align the US and Israeli security establishments. This follows reports that he presented a hard sell for the conflict during a White House briefing with President Donald Trump 17 days before the war began on February 28. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by accusing Netanyahu of bragging about how he suckered the US administration into a war on behalf of Israel.

Simultaneously, Netanyahu accused senior security officials—including IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, and IDF intelligence chief Aharon Haliva—of intentionally failing to wake him on the morning of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. He asserted that officials kept him asleep to avoid a military escalation they feared he would trigger through full mobilization. Netanyahu claimed that if he had been alerted, he would have ordered the air force to kill anyone approaching the border.

While Netanyahu characterized the events as a great failure rather than a betrayal, the political climate remains volatile. Sara Netanyahu claimed in a television interview that opposition leader Yair Golan had advance knowledge of the October 7 attack. Golan has threatened to sue the first lady for libel, calling the claim a false conspiracy.