Netanyahu aide investigated over 7 October document changes
The Chief of Staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Tzachi Braverman, is under investigation by police for allegedly altering documents related to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in order to present Netanyahu in a more favorable light.
Braverman, one of Netanyahu’s closest advisors, was questioned by the Israeli police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit for over five hours on Thursday, according to Israeli media reports. Authorities have confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.
The accusation centers around two phone calls Netanyahu received during the unfolding Hamas cross-border raid on October 7. Braverman is suspected of changing the documented time when Netanyahu first received an update on the attack from his military secretary at the time, Major General Avi Gil. The change reportedly shifted the time from 06:40 to 06:29.
Braverman denies altering the call transcript, except for adjusting the time. During his interrogation, he reportedly told detectives, “I know that the first call was received at 06:29, that’s why I insisted on changing it.”
While Gil did call Netanyahu at 06:29, when the Hamas attack began, Netanyahu did not give any instructions and instead told Gil to call back in 10 minutes, at 06:40, according to a Haaretz report.
It was only during the second phone call for which Braverman allegedly altered the time stamp to appear as though it was the first, that Netanyahu ordered Gil to hold a situational assessment on the developing Hamas invasion, Haaretz reported.
The allegation is that Braverman altered the time, in order to give the impression that the prime minister had acted more urgently and more decisively.
The chief of staff denies that.
The 7 October attack was the biggest military and intelligence failure in Israel’s history.
Several senior military officials have already resigned over it.
Netanyahu has consistently denied any personal failure.
His critics though, believe it is the prime minister who was ultimately responsible for the failure to prevent the deadliest attack on the country since the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948.
Various investigations are under way into the military and intelligence failures and Netanyahu has rejected claims he is stalling on demands for a full-scale inquiry.
This potential scandal is in its infancy, but it could go on to seriously undermine the Prime Minister’s position.
And it comes at a time when Netanyahu is mid-way through a trial facing corruption charges. He is due to testify in that trial next month, having failed to have the case thrown own, believing it is a political witch-hunt.
