Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued an apology for the tragic attack by Hamas on October 7, resulting in the death of over 1,200 Israelis and the captivity of more than 250 others.
During an interview with Time Magazine in Jerusalem, Netanyahu expressed his deep regret, stating, “I am sorry, deeply, that something like this happened.”
The full interview published by Time marks Netanyahu’s first major interview with a news organization since the October 7 attack. Time’s national political correspondent, Eric Cortellessa, conducted the interview shortly after the Prime Minister’s visit to the United States, where he addressed Congress and reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to fighting Hamas in Gaza.
When questioned by Cortellessa about his response to Iran’s threat and his handling of Hamas prior to the attack, Netanyahu was asked why he had only apologized to military and security officials he had previously blamed for the incident.
The heads of the IDF and the Shin Bet apologized for October 7. When you apologized, it was for a social media post blaming the military and security establishment. Why have you not apologized to the Israeli people for October 7?
I’ve said that following the end of the war, there’ll be an independent commission that will examine everything that happened before, and everybody will have to answer some tough questions, including me.
Will you do it right now? Will you apologize?
I don’t think we can do it right now in the middle of a war. Apologize? Of course, of course. I am sorry, deeply, that something like this happened. And you always look back and you say, could we have done things that would have prevented it? You’d have to be—how could you not?
Sure, but what is your accountability for it?
I think we’ll examine all that, that question, and examine it in detail, exactly what happened? How did it happen? How did this failure of intelligence, operational capability and other policies that contributed? There’ll be enough time to deal with it. But I think that dealing with it now is a mistake. We’re in the midst of a war, a seven-front war. I think we have to concentrate on one thing: winning.
Cortellessa also raised concerns about the criticism surrounding Netanyahu’s leadership, including past support for Hamas, empowering the far-right in Israel, and prolonging the war for political gain. Netanyahu dismissed these allegations as lies and distortions, stating his intention to remain in office to lead Israel towards a future of security and prosperity.
Following the October 7 attack, Netanyahu’s reputation as “Mr. Security” came under scrutiny, with critics questioning his ability to keep Israelis safe. Despite the growing criticism, Netanyahu remains resolute in his commitment to ensuring Israel’s security.
“I’d rather have bad press than a good obituary,” he remarked to Cortellessa.