Sara Netanyahu pushes conspiracy theory that left-wing leader Golan had advance knowledge of Oct. 7

Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, insinuated without evidence in an interview aired Monday that left-wing politician Yair Golan had advance notice of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught, drawing a furious response from the latter’s party. Golan said he would sue her.

Golan, a former deputy IDF chief of staff, drove on October 7 to where the Nova music festival massacre was being perpetrated and rescued people, later earning praise for his actions.

But Sara Netanyahu, in an interview with the staunchly pro-government Channel 14, suggested that his prompt response to the massacre had meant he had advance warning of it.

“When you’re a military man of such high rank, claiming that you fought on October 7, already early in the morning you were there, already dressed and ready at a very, very early hour when others didn’t know, such as the prime minister,” she says directly after talking about Golan, adding sarcastically: “Who is the prime minister anyway to know that a war is breaking out? Why let him know?”

In fact, Golan has said multiple times that he headed south around 8 a.m., 1.5 hours after the attack began.

Responding to the accusation, Golan said Tuesday morning he intends to sue the premier’s wife over the claim, telling Army Radio: “We will definitely file a lawsuit against Sara Netanyahu.”

The wife of the prime minister does not have legal immunity.

Golan’s party, the Democrats, slammed her remark in a post on X, saying it “forcefully condemns the slanderous and lying words of Sara Netanyahu this evening on Channel 14.”

“Spreading conspiracies against the general Yair Golan, and tarring his heroism on October 7, crosses a red line bordering on insanity,” the party said. “While [Benjamin] Netanyahu rushed to put on makeup and look for excuses, Yair Golan charged forward and saved lives. The facts won’t change, no matter how much the Netanyahu family and Channel 14 try to rewrite them.”

Sara Netanyahu is not the first member of her immediate family to spread conspiracy theories about October 7. The Netanyahus’ adult son Yair suggested there was treason in the lead-up to the attack, prompting the prime minister to reportedly tell lawmakers that while “there was a serious intelligence failure” ahead of the October 7 attack, “there was no treason.”

When asked directly about the latter theory during the Channel 14 interview, however, Sara Netanyahu didn’t rule it out as her husband did.

“I don’t want to talk. I don’t know. There should be a real commission of inquiry,” she said, condemning the High Court of Justice’s order to halt the state comptroller’s investigation and reiterating the Netanyahus’ rejection of a state commission of inquiry, which she alleged would have had “predetermined conclusions.” Almost three years after the massacre, the government is yet to form any sort of inquiry into the various failures surrounding the attack.

Golan reacted Monday evening in his own X post: “Bibi — [then-]defense minister [Yoav] Gallant, the security chiefs, the IDF chief of staff, the Shin Bet chief, tried to alert you and warn you dozens of times from the moment the government was sworn in and you didn’t wake up… Like all those responsible for the failure, you too will be punished for this recklessness right after we enter the next government.”

Meanwhile, Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff and the premier’s main rival in the upcoming election, said on X: “The outrageous conspiracy theory of treason, which has absolutely no factual basis and which the prime minister’s wife spread last night, is intended solely to fan hatred and perpetuate the Netanyahu government, whose only way of ruling is to divide.”

He went on: “Netanyahu is running from responsibility for the worst failure in Israel’s history, to which he led us blindly, through negligence and by ignoring every warning sign. Some people claim that they ‘weren’t woken up,’ while others got up and rushed into action — without asking questions.

“They will not succeed in turning good into evil, or truth into lies,” he said. “We will not allow it, and the people of Israel will not allow it. I stand with my friend, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Golan, who fought for the State of Israel for decades and, on the morning of October 7, showed responsibility and courage and heroically saved lives.”

Former premier Naftali Bennett praised Golan for his bravery on October 7, saying he “drove into the inferno, risking his life in order to save lives.”

“Netanyahu, his wife, and those around him are spreading a sick, false, and dangerous conspiracy against IDF and Shin Bet commanders, and against Yair Golan,” Bennett added in a post on X.

“The truth is simpler: For long years, Netanyahu fed the Hamas monster with billions of dollars and contained the rockets, the balloons, and the terror in order to buy quiet,” he said, referring to the prewar Israeli policy of allowing Qatari funds to be given to Hamas in order to maintain calm in the Strip.

In another part of the interview, Sara Netanyahu was asked if she wants to continue being the prime minister’s wife in the next Knesset, and answered that she does, “because I want all of us to live.” Ignoring the onslaught in which some 1,200 people were murdered while her husband was premier, she added that “I want a leader who safeguards me and my children, just like he safeguards all citizens and their children; his name is Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Numerous reports over the years have indicated that Sara Netanyahu wields major influence over her husband’s decision-making on policy matters and on appointments.

In 2024, Golan started suing people who peddled unfounded conspiracy theories that he had been involved in espionage and in planning the Hamas invasion, including Likud politicians and others linked to the ruling party.