'I was wrong': Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu apologizes to intelligence chiefs

Benjamin Netanyahu's ally National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, “The problem isn’t specific warnings, but rather the entire mistaken concept. The policy of containment, the imaginary deterrence, and buying temporary quiet for an exorbitant price are the root of the entire problem."

Team Newsable

First Published Oct 29, 2023, 7:09 PM IST | Last Updated Oct 29, 2023, 7:09 PM IST

Facing sharp criticism from the opposition and allies, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (October 29) issued an apology for his earlier statement in which he blamed the security services for failing to prevent Hamas attack on October 7.

"I was wrong. The things I said following the press conference should not have been said, and I apologize for that," Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a post on X, shortly after deleting his original comments.

"I give full backing to all the heads of the security services. I am sending strength to the [IDF] chief of staff and the commanders and soldiers of the IDF who are on the frontlines and fighting for our home,” the Israeli prime minister further added.

His initial remarks had generated significant criticism, prompting their removal from the platform.

Several security chiefs have also accepted responsibility for the significant failure, but Benjamin Netanyahu has refrained from taking any blame for it. The spokesman for the Israeli army, Daniel Hagari, stated, “We are now in a war and are focused on it. We in the IDF and Shin Bet will conduct a thorough investigation of the truth and present everything to the public. Now we are fighting and focused on the war.”

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