Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced renewed criticism from political rivals on Tuesday following a report that he received a direct warning from United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed about an impending Hamas attack shortly before the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel. According to the report, bin Zayed alerted Netanyahu in late September that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing for war, conveying this in a 45-minute phone call roughly ten days prior to the attack.

Despite this warning, Netanyahu reportedly did not inform Israel’s top security officials or take sufficient preventative action, drawing sharp rebukes from opposition figures. Gadi Eisenkot, a leading opposition contender for prime minister and former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, accused Netanyahu of having led the country “blindly to disaster” and characterized him as unfit to serve. Eisenkot’s criticism reflects broader dissatisfaction within Israel’s political sphere regarding the government’s handling of security intelligence and preparedness.

The fallout from the revelations has intensified scrutiny on Netanyahu’s leadership, with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also placing direct blame on Netanyahu for the failures preceding the attack. In an interview with Kan public radio, Bennett said Netanyahu was “deep in the conception,” suggesting he was unwilling to accept the possibility of an attack by Hamas despite mounting indicators.

Internal political dynamics further complicate Netanyahu’s position as elections approach. Efforts to unify right-wing factions under Netanyahu’s Likud party have met with mixed results, as he has struggled to broker alliances with prominent figures such as Bezalel Smotrich and Ofer Winter or secure cooperation with Itamar Ben-Gvir. Netanyahu did succeed in encouraging Taly Gozal to depart from Likud in favor of joining Ben-Gvir, consolidating some elements of the right-wing bloc, but his attempts to promote more broadly popular, statesmanlike candidates under the Likud banner have largely fallen short.

Among the reserved candidate slots on Likud’s election list, Netanyahu’s selections have drawn criticism for lacking widespread appeal. High-profile names he sought to include, such as Gabi Ashkenazi and Ron Dermer, were passed over in favor of less universally recognized figures like Eli Goldschmidt and Channel 14 commentator David Bardugo. Political analysts note that many of these candidates resonate mainly within the government coalition or specific factions rather than appealing to the centrist electorate, signaling a possible inward turn for Likud.

While the “change” bloc faces pessimism following recent polls showing Smotrich and Winter surpassing the electoral threshold, Netanyahu’s coalition is perceived as vulnerable to losing votes amid a shifting political landscape. Observers point out that Netanyahu no longer controls the political agenda as decisively as before, facing both internal and external challenges in the wake of the October 7 attacks and ongoing electoral maneuvering.