Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahuwhich has avoided publicly apologizing to its citizens for failing to prevent the Hamas attack on October 7, told the magazine Time He regretted the events that occurred due to the Islamist group’s aggression, while assuring that he would remain in office as long as he could.
The American magazine interviewed the president on August 4 in his Jerusalem office, and asked him if he would apologize for not having prevented the attack, while he was in charge of the Israeli government.
“Excuse me?” he replies, “Of course, of course. I am deeply sorry that something like this happened. And you always look back and ask yourself: Could we have done something to prevent it?”
Netanyahu has not formally taken responsibility for the security failures that allowed the attack to occur.which left some 1,200 dead, 251 kidnapped and unleashed a war that has already lasted more than 10 months.
He even blamed the Defense and Security elite for the fiasco, although he later retracted this statement.
In the interview, he told Time that his main mistake was giving in to his Security Cabinet’s reluctance to engage in open war.
“In any case, I did not sufficiently question the assumption that was common to all security agencies” that Hamas was not going to attack, he said.
“October 7 proved wrong those who said Hamas was deterred,” he stressed.
On the other hand, Netanyahu – who has been in power for 17 years in different terms – told Time that he will try to stay in his post as long as he can.
“I will remain in office as long as I believe I can help lead Israel toward a future of security, lasting security and prosperity.”held.
“I’d rather have bad press than a good obituary,” he said in the interview.
Asked whether an opposition leader should remain in power if he were responsible for Israel’s worst security failure, he replied: “It depends.”
“Are they capable of leading the country in a war? Can they lead it to victory? Can they ensure that the post-war situation will be one of peace and security? If the answer is yes, they should remain in power,” he argued, before concluding that “the decision is up to the people.”
The war with Hamas, which in 10 months has left some 40,000 dead, 10,000 missing and 1.9 million displaced in the Gaza Strip, amid an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, has also caused a regional crisis in the Middle East.
However, in Israel there have only been three major resignations over the Hamas attack: that of the head of Israeli military intelligence, General Aharon Halivathat of the brigadier general Avi Rosenfeldcommander of the Gaza division, and the head of the southern district of Israel’s internal intelligence service (Shin Bet), whose identity, like that of all the employees of this agency, was not revealed.
In October, Shin Bet chief, Ron Barapologized for what happened on October 7 and assumed responsibility, but for the moment remains in office.
Increasingly large demonstrations across the country are demanding the resignation of Netanyahu, who faces growing fractures in his government and three corruption charges. EFE (I)
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