Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton questioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of alleged warnings before Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, saying during an appearance on MS NOW's Morning Joe that "either he didn't believe it" or "he wanted to see what they [Hamas] could plan so that he could come down hard and enhance his position." Clinton added that while she did not know or understand Netanyahu's reasoning, "this was a failure of leadership." Her comments stem from an investigation that she describes as a “bombshell” published by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which alleged that Netanyahu received a warning roughly 10 days before Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack from United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, also known as MbZ, that the militant group was preparing a major operation. According to the report, Netanyahu did not relay the alleged warning to Israel's top security officials nor change any protocols or preparations. Netanyahu has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling the report "a wicked fabrication" with "clear political timing." He has said he plans to sue Haaretz over the claims and has called for an investigation.
The allegations have renewed scrutiny of Israel's political and intelligence leadership ahead of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed, and 251 others were taken hostage into Gaza. The attack triggered Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, where more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities. Its release comes just weeks ahead of the Israeli elections.
Newsweek contacted Netanyahu's office and the UAE government for comment on Wednesday for a related article. In reporting tied to their new book, Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment, Haaretz journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval alleged that Netanyahu held a 45-minute phone conversation with UAE President bin Zayed about 10 days before Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The journalists state that the Emirati leader told Netanyahu that "Yahya Sinwar [Hamas’ then-leader in Gaza] was planning a major operation against Israel." The report continued, “Bin Zayed expressed concern that the event in question would not only lead to bloodshed but also destabilize the entire region and undermine the Abraham Accords,” emphasizing the scale and gravity of the forthcoming operation.
The report alleges that Netanyahu reacted calmly to the warning and did not inform senior Israeli security officials, including the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad or the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff. Following the publication of the report, several Israeli opposition politicians sharply criticized Netanyahu, with some describing the prime minister as "unfit" for office. The leader of the center-left Democrats party, Yair Golan, accused Netanyahu of "endangering Israel." Eisenkot posted on X that Netanyahu had "ignored" all the warnings of a potential attack.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Netanyahu had "personal and direct responsibility" for the deaths on October 7 and, as such, "cannot continue to serve in his position for even one more minute." Netanyahu has rejected demands for an independent inquiry into the events leading up to the attack. Haaretz has repeatedly stood by its reporting, and an Emirati source familiar with the reported conversation confirmed the report to The Times of Israel on Tuesday. Not everyone has accepted the report's findings.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was serving in the Biden administration during the October 7 attack, has dismissed allegations involving him as "false" and "complete fiction," even as Clinton and some Israeli opposition figures have cited the report in their criticism of Netanyahu. Clinton, who served as Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, said on Morning Joe Thursday, “I love Israel, and I hate Netanyahu’s government and his policies.” She added, “I love America, and I hate Trump’s government and policies.” Discussing the allegations detailed in what she called the “bombshell” report, Clinton said the claims left her with two possible explanations for Netanyahu's response: “Either he didn’t believe it, or, it’s horrible to say, he wanted to see what they could plan so that he could come down hard and enhance his position.” Clinton added, “I don’t know what his thinking was, but the bottom line…this was a failure of leadership. This was a failure of protecting the people of Israel.” Turning to the political implications of the allegations, Clinton said Israel's upcoming election could shape Washington's relationship with its closest Middle East ally.
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