Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Sara Netanyahu Remark Fuels Defamation Fight Over October 7 Claims
Sara Netanyahu made comments suggesting that Yair Golan may have known about Hamas’s October 7 attack before it started.
Golan was a senior military officer and says he went to help people during the attack.
He sued Sara Netanyahu for defamation, and she filed a countersuit.
Some people describe the issue as a possible betrayal, but no evidence has been reported proving that theory.
Benjamin Netanyahu said he does not believe there was a betrayal.
He said there was instead a very serious failure before the attack.
Security leaders reportedly met around 3 a.m., but Netanyahu was not awakened.
The argument has become an important topic in Israel’s election campaign.
Sara Netanyahu suggested former IDF deputy chief Yair Golan may have known about the October 7 attack before it began.
Golan filed a defamation lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu, who responded with a counter-defamation suit.
Golan says he was in uniform and drove to the Supernova festival to help during the Hamas assault.
Benjamin Netanyahu rejected claims of betrayal, describing the events as a major security failure instead.
The dispute has shifted attention in Israel’s election campaign toward warnings, responsibility and why Netanyahu was not awakened before the attack.
- Who
- Sara Netanyahu, Yair Golan, Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Israeli security officials are central to the dispute.
- What
- A public exchange over whether Golan and other security figures knew about the October 7 attack has led to mutual defamation lawsuits.
- When
- The comments concern the October 7, 2023 attack; Israel’s election is scheduled for October 27, and a security meeting took place around 3 a.m. before the assault.
- Where
- The dispute concerns events in Israel, including the Supernova music festival in the south and a hair salon in Tel Aviv.
- Why
- The issue arose after Sara Netanyahu questioned Golan’s actions and knowledge before the attack, while Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized why he was not awakened by security officials.
Claims and Criticism
Denials and Alternative Explanation
What Golan knew before the attack
Claims and Criticism
Sara Netanyahu suggested that Golan’s early presence in uniform indicated he knew an attack was imminent and questioned why he did not alert Benjamin Netanyahu.
Denials and Alternative Explanation
The article says no evidence has surfaced that Golan or other security figures intentionally withheld information from Netanyahu or sought to topple his government.
Betrayal or security failure
Claims and Criticism
The betrayal theory alleges that people in the security establishment knew about the danger and deliberately failed to warn the prime minister.
Denials and Alternative Explanation
Benjamin Netanyahu said he does not believe there was a betrayal and characterized the events as a major failure during the night and morning before the attack.
Who should have been awakened
Claims and Criticism
Netanyahu has argued that the outcome could have been different had he been awakened at 3 a.m. when senior officials reviewed warning signs.
Denials and Alternative Explanation
Netanyahu said a submitted protocol indicated that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar favored a moderate alert level to avoid a miscalculation and an unnecessary escalation.
- Election date
- October 27
- Attack date
- October 7, 2023
- Attack start time
- 6:29 a.m.
- Early security meeting
- Around 3 a.m., hours before the assault
- Reported casualties
- More than 1,200 Israelis were killed, according to the article
- Lawsuits
- Yair Golan sued Sara Netanyahu for defamation; she filed a counter-defamation suit
- Netanyahu’s position
- He said there was a major failure, not a betrayal