Disgraceful Return
Accountability Fail: IDF Officer Who Dismissed October 7 Warnings as "Imaginary" Returns to Service
An IDF intelligence officer who was criticized for dismissing warnings about the October 7 assault as "entirely imaginary" has been reinstated to a non-operational role, despite previous attempts to remove him following internal investigations.
An intelligence officer who was central to the failure to predict the October 7 massacre has been reinstated to active service within the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN). This development has triggered a new wave of controversy regarding accountability for the massive intelligence failures preceding the Hamas assault.
The officer, who previously served in the Gaza Division, notoriously dismissed the possibility of a large-scale Hamas incursion into Israeli border communities as "an entirely imaginary scenario" in the lead-up to the attack. Despite internal and external investigations criticizing his conduct, the officer is now reportedly serving as the head of a sector at the headquarters of the Chief Intelligence Officer.
Internal Probes Found Warnings Were Ignored
Investigations conducted by the IDF, including the internal probe and the comprehensive external "investigation of investigations" led by Major-General (res.) Sami Turgeman, found that the officer ignored multiple warnings. A counterintelligence officer repeatedly cautioned that Hamas was actively preparing for a major assault on the border.
In written responses at the time, the officer not only branded the scenario as "an entirely imaginary scenario" but also dismissed observable Hamas drills as merely "for the sake of appearances and a display of intent."
Major-General Turgeman's review specifically criticized the officer’s decision to postpone a discussion of the critical warnings "until after the holidays," despite the clear intelligence available to him. This delay is considered a significant factor that contributed to the lack of preparedness on October 7.
Reinstatement Despite Public Outcry
The officer's return to active duty is not the first attempt at reinstatement. Earlier in January, it was revealed that he had been reassigned to Unit 9900. However, this appointment was revoked following widespread public outcry and direct intervention from both the Defense Minister and the IDF Chief of Staff.
The new report indicates that the officer has since been placed in a different position. While his current role is described as non-operational and peripheral to core intelligence activity, he still reports to intelligence bases several times a week and continues to draw a full salary.
Sources familiar with the matter indicated a clear desire by the officer to remain in uniform, stating that he "refuses to go home. Many people tried to show him the way out, and he does not agree - he wants to remain in the army." The IDF spokesperson has confirmed the details of the officer’s reinstatement, fueling public debate over the standards of accountability for senior military failures.