In an interview with CNN, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to answer a direct question about whether he would take responsibility for the October 7 incident in which an Israeli military helicopter fired on and killed seven Palestinians in Gaza.
The incident, which has been described as an “unauthorized” operation by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), has been under investigation since the attack.
In the interview, Netanyahu was asked whether he accepted responsibility for the attack, and he responded that he was not able to answer that question.
Instead, Netanyahu talked around the issue without providing a direct answer in an apparent attempt to avoid admission of guilt for the incident.
The attack, which took place during a large-scale military offensive in the Gaza Strip, was not authorized by the IDF and is considered to have caused a heavy toll on civilian life.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the Israeli government was quick to deny responsibility, with Netanyahu taking a stance of “we don’t know, we didn’t order it, and it doesn’t matter.”
This statement stands in stark contrast to the government’s subsequent explanation that the attack was an example of “excessive force” resulting from a lack of communication with the IDF about the precise coordinates of the target.
Netanyahu’s refusal to answer CNN on the question of whether he is willing to accept responsibility for the October 7 incident is concerning, to say the least.
His silence on the matter speaks volumes about his unwillingness to come to terms with what happened that day, and further raises questions about whether justice will ever be brought to those affected by the incident.
