A journalist from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz launched a sharp critique of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, following a disputed investigative report published that morning. The report claimed that United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed had allegedly warned Netanyahu about plans by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar before the October 7 massacre. Netanyahu's office flatly denied the report, stating that the prime minister had not spoken with bin Zayed during the relevant period and received no such warning.
Writing on social media, Haaretz journalist Michael Hauser Tov declared: "The most important conclusion from this morning is that we were hugely wrong here." He explained that until this report surfaced, he had believed Netanyahu's opposition to establishing a state commission of inquiry stemmed from concerns about how history would judge his legacy. The new allegations, he suggested, pointed to a different motivation: Netanyahu may have concrete information he wishes to keep hidden, rather than merely worrying about historical assessments and formal conclusions damaging his reputation.
He extended his criticism beyond the prime minister to those advocating for alternative investigative frameworks. "Several people here need to do very deep soul-searching," he wrote. "They are pushing with all their might for an alternative inquiry commission and telling stories as if this is an ideological event."
