October 7 Response: IDF Investigator Defends Netanyahu

A retired Israeli colonel who led the military's internal investigation into the October 7 Hamas attack has pushed back against criticism of the country's political leadership during the early hours of the assault. Ret. Col. Oren Solomon, who formerly headed the IDF's October 7 inquiry team, addressed questions about why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately contact the IDF Chief of Staff when the attack began.

Speaking on the "Patchi and Zamri with the People" program on Galei Israel radio, Solomon dismissed such criticism as misguided. "Anyone asking these questions either doesn't understand, or understands and is trying to deceive," he said bluntly.

According to Solomon, the prime minister's involvement in those initial moments was "almost irrelevant." He explained that the proper protocol was to "let the Chief of Staff and the senior command team manage the event."

When radio host Yotam Zamri raised the reverse question, why IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi himself didn't initiate contact with the prime minister for three hours after the attack began, Solomon rejected that criticism as well, arguing that military priorities in those critical hours had to be different.

Solomon argued that the real questions should focus on the military's senior leadership and their actions during those fateful hours. "The question that needs to be asked is: What did the Chief of Staff do during this time? What did the generals do during this time?" he said.

The retired colonel concluded with a stark assessment of the IDF's internal investigation findings. According to Solomon, senior military commanders "could have saved hundreds of people and prevented many kidnappings and much damage, and this is a devastating conclusion that isn't written in any IDF investigation."

His comments suggest that while internal military inquiries have been conducted, they have not fully addressed what he sees as critical failures in command decision-making during the opening hours of the October 7 attack.