Israelis weigh Netanyahu’s security record as Palestinians bear Gaza’s toll

What responsibility do Netanyahu’s opponents want examined?

Netanyahu’s critics are calling for an official commission of inquiry into the attack and the security failures before it. Netanyahu has rejected those calls. At a state memorial on Oct. 5, a bereaved father confronted him, bringing the demand for accountability into a ceremony honoring those killed.

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the centrist Yashar party and Netanyahu’s main rival, has called for an inquiry into who was responsible for the failures. He also accused Netanyahu of knowing an attack was coming. Eisenkot said, “He knew that something was about to happen,” AFP reported in an account carried by Courthouse News Service.

Reports that officials from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt warned Netanyahu before the attack have become part of the dispute. Netanyahu denies receiving advance warnings, and his office called the reports false. The allegations remain contested, while opponents say an independent inquiry is needed to establish responsibility.

Netanyahu’s defenders argue that the military establishment failed him and that he led Israel through a recovery after the attack. Their argument centers on his response and the military strength he says Israel has regained; opponents continue to call for an inquiry into security lapses before the attack.

A foiled attack aboard a FlyDubai flight in the days before the anniversary brought another security concern into the campaign. On Sunday, Netanyahu ordered a review of international flights to Israel after the incident. Michael Horowitz, an independent security analyst, told AFP the October 7 and FlyDubai controversies, “They bring the campaign back to its main weakness: confidence in his ability to protect Israelis”.

How does the war affect Palestinians in Gaza?

The attack triggered a war whose consequences extend far beyond the Israeli campaign debate. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed. Palestinians in Gaza also continue to face displacement, destruction and severe hardship.

Netanyahu points to his military response as evidence of restored strength, while the scale of Palestinian death and displacement is part of the war’s human cost. Israeli families’ grief and fears about another attack are central to the campaign; the effects of the security choices being debated are also being borne by Palestinians.

The Oct. 27 election will test whether Netanyahu’s emphasis on his response can persuade voters who are also being asked to consider the failure to prevent Oct. 7. His opponents’ demand for an official inquiry remains a direct challenge to his account of the country’s security record.