Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israel’s prime minister, has sparked controversy by suggesting that opposition leader Yair Golan possessed prior knowledge of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Her remarks, aired on Monday evening during an interview on Israel’s Channel 14, have ignited criticism amid heightened political tensions ahead of the country’s tightly contested elections scheduled for October 27.

During the interview, Sara Netanyahu accused Golan, the former deputy chief of military staff and head of the center-left Democratic party, of being “already dressed and ready” at dawn on the day of the attack while others, including the prime minister, were allegedly unaware. This claim implied that Golan anticipated the violence days before it unfolded.

Golan’s response highlighted his role on October 7, when he rushed to southern Israel to assist victims at the Nova music festival, where at least 370 people were killed. His party dismissed Sara Netanyahu’s statements as “vile and deceitful,” condemning the spread of what they described as a baseless conspiracy against a figure who showed heroism amid the crisis. The party’s statement on social media emphasized that such accusations crossed a “red line” and bordered on insanity.

The reaction from the opposition was swift and broad. Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, who is regarded as a leading candidate to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called the claims a “mad conspiracy of betrayal” aimed at fueling division and extending Netanyahu’s tenure. Opposition figures accused Sara Netanyahu of attempting to rewrite the narrative surrounding the worst attack in Israel’s history, turning those who acted to save lives into traitors while excusing failures in security.

The political fallout underscores the deep polarization in Israel, where the October 7 attack reignites already fraught debates over security and leadership. Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, has faced criticism for his handling of the event and has shifted responsibility onto security officials, asserting that they should have woken him upon receiving warning signs of the imminent assault.

Sara Netanyahu’s accusations align with conspiracy theories that have circulated within certain segments of Israeli society. A recent August poll found that 40 percent of Israelis—and 63 percent of voters who support the current right-wing coalition—believe that internal betrayal contributed to the October 7 attack, reflecting widespread distrust and division amid the country’s ongoing political struggle.