Israeli intelligence officer, ex-head of Shin Bet (2021–2025)
Israel's election scene has intensified as rival parties push security and national service reforms. Eisenkot's Yashar gains in polls amid debates over security doctrine and universal service, while Netanyahu faces AI-assisted attacks and controversy over ultra-Orthodox exemptions. The mix of new coalitions and legal challenges shapes the race.
Haaretz has published book excerpts saying UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Benjamin Netanyahu in late September 2023 that Hamas was planning a major operation. Haaretz says Netanyahu reacted calmly and did not inform Israel's security chiefs; Netanyahu has denied the call, instructed lawyers to sue Haaretz, and rivals have seized the story ahead of the Oct. 27 election.
Arab warnings from Egypt and the UAE are now corroborated by multiple outlets, including The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal. The reports describe Israeli leaders receiving cautions about Gaza's volatility in the weeks before the October 7, 2023 assault, with Egypt’s Abbas Kamel and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed reportedly warning of imminent danger.
Israel’s prime minister faces defamation lawsuits as Haaretz and other outlets are accused of publishing false reports about warnings to Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023 attacks. The stories persist as other outlets report related warnings from Egypt and the UAE, while Netanyahu denies having been warned.
Three years after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Israel faces a pivotal election that could determine the future of Benjamin Netanyahu’s premiership. Voters weigh accountability for security failures against a demand for stability as regional dynamics remain volatile and Gaza’s humanitarian toll persists.