Yair Netanyahu shares post casting top security chiefs as ‘fatal failures’
PM’s son posts video to Instagram blaming Gantz for appointing security heads who were in charge on October 7, which premier has repeatedly refused to take responsibility for

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest son on Saturday shared a post on his Instagram labeling National Unity party chair Benny Gantz as the “king of the conception,” and three top security chiefs as “fatal failures.”
The video shared by Yair Netanyahu shows pictures of IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet security agency Ronen Bar, and Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva, branding them “three fatal failures.”
“They are the appointments of one man,” the text on the video reads, before switching to a video of Gantz, whom the video calls the “king of the conception.”
The three were appointed to their posts by the previous government, in which Gantz served as defense minister. While the defense minister does select the heads of the IDF and military intelligence, the head of the Shin Bet is appointed by the prime minister.
The “conception” is what many have termed officials’ deeply mistaken paradigm in the years leading up to the October 7 assault, that Hamas preferred calm on the Gaza border and to receive funding from the international community to all-out war with Israel.
The term came about 50 years ago to describe the security establishment’s belief in Israeli military superiority following the success of 1967 Six Day War and subsequent intelligence failure that spurred on the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
והנה, קמפיין גנץ "אחראי על המחדל הביטחוני" רץ עכשיו חזק. "מעניין" מי אחראי לזה pic.twitter.com/KTZmWhKIQn
— Chaim Levinson (@chaimlevinson) June 13, 2024
Many government critics have denounced Netanyahu as the “father of the conception” vis-a-vis Hamas. The premier has claimed he never fell for the idea, which he charges was pushed by members of the security establishment, and unlike them has repeatedly refused to accept responsibility for the Hamas-led massacres.
Ahead of October 7, Netanyahu asserted that Hamas was deterred from attacking Israel. The premier also spearheaded the policy to allow Qatari funds into the Gaza Strip, a decision which contributed to the strengthening of Hamas.
In the wake of the October 7 attack, which saw Hamas terrorists kill some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnap 251, Gantz joined Netanyahu’s government to help ensure broad political consensus for the country’s war efforts against Hamas. Frustrated with Netanyahu’s conduct, Gantz quit the government last week and called for fresh elections, prompting right-wing ire.
Yair Netanyahu is known for his provocative online presence and has faced legal action over his social media activity. Last month, he shared a video of a masked IDF reservist pledging allegiance to the prime minister while threatening mutiny against Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant if the military would not pursue “complete victory” over Hamas. The IDF opened a criminal probe into the incident.

In December, he liked a social media post accusing Halevi of initiating a de facto military coup on October 7, claiming the military chief knew ahead of time of the devastating Hamas assault but did not tell the premier.
The prime minister’s son, who now resides near Miami, reportedly moved to Florida last year after Netanyahu and his wife demanded that he stop posting on social media and not speak directly with lawmakers or ministers amid accusations he was inflaming tensions in Israel and exacerbating a diplomatic rift with the United States.
Along with his social media presence, Yair Netanyahu has faced criticism for remaining in the US despite the outbreak of war, as tens of thousands of Israelis returned home to join the over 300,000 reservists initially called up.