Netanyahu Addresses Thwarted Terror Plot, Iran, and 7 October Failure in CNN Interview
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed a thwarted terror attack, Iran's nuclear ambitions, the 7 October intelligence failure, and West Bank security in a CNN interview.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a wide range of critical diplomatic and security issues in an extensive interview with CNN, spanning from a thwarted aerial terror attack to the Iranian nuclear threat, settler violence in the West Bank, and the 7 October intelligence failure.
Opening his remarks on the thwarted passenger plane attack, Netanyahu compared the incident to the 9/11 disaster. He revealed that the hijacker who was neutralized is currently being interrogated in Saudi Arabia and is expected to be transferred shortly to the United Arab Emirates. "I spoke with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, and he immediately agreed that Israel should join the investigation. We will find out very soon if Iran had a connection to this," Netanyahu stated.
Netanyahu praised the neutralization of the terrorist, describing it as an "unimaginable act of heroism, incredible coolness, and astonishing judgment that saved us from disaster." He highlighted the bravery of Yaniv Chayon, whom he met, noting that he is a plumber by trade. Sharing his personal counter-terrorism experience, the Prime Minister recalled his service in an elite unit, where he was wounded during a hostage rescue mission on a Sabena flight hijacked by Palestinian terrorists, and noted that his brother was killed leading rescue forces.
Harsh Criticism of Britain and Iran
Although there was no specific prior intelligence regarding the specific flight, the Prime Minister stressed that considerable intelligence flowed indicating that Iranian proxies—specifically Hezbollah and Hamas—were planning attacks against Israel and Israeli citizens abroad. Netanyahu sharply criticized the United Kingdom over its stance: "We know that Iran sponsors much of this terror. We passed information to the British, and that did not stop them from imposing sanctions on Israel a few days later. The cynicism and hypocrisy here are simply unbelievable."
Regarding the Iranian nuclear threat, Netanyahu stated that the regime in Tehran will attempt to revive its nuclear program at any cost, praising the economic pressure exerted by the Trump administration, which he said paralyzes the economy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "If we had not acted, they would already be on the verge of producing atomic bombs, and they probably would have used them, which would have changed history. It is like cancer. If you have a large cancerous tumor and you do not remove it, you will die. But that does not mean the cancer cannot return, so we must be on constant alert," he warned.
Confronting the 7 October Intelligence Failure
When asked about reports that Egypt and the UAE warned Israel prior to the Hamas surprise attack, Netanyahu firmly denied the claims, calling them false. However, the Prime Minister candidly acknowledged Israel's deep intelligence failure leading up to 7 October. "I think we all recognize that there was no solid intelligence assessment," Netanyahu said. "In fact, the intelligence assessments were completely inverted, including days before the attack. We held security meetings and people said Hamas was deterred and wanted economic benefits. Clearly, we were all blind."
Despite this, Netanyahu deflected attempts to focus solely on early blame, comparing the situation to monumental historical terror events. "The real question is what do you do when it happens? What do you do when you have a 9/11? What did you do after Pearl Harbor? You don't just ask 'how didn't we see this?' We will get to the bottom of the matter with a proper investigative effort, but the question is what we did afterward. We went after the bad ones. We hit them very hard... to ensure they could never invade our country again."
Settler Violence and the 'Day After'
Much of the interview was dedicated to international criticism regarding violence in the West Bank. Netanyahu categorically rejected allegations of unbridled "settler violence," defining the narrative as a "giant hoax." He stated that it involves a fringe group of roughly 150 to 200 young delinquents whose actions he completely condemns, noting that he activated the Shin Bet to stop them from taking the law into their own hands. He contrasted their actions with thousands of lethal Palestinian terror attacks in 2025.
Concluding on the future of the campaign, Netanyahu made it clear that Israeli forces will remain in security corridors in Gaza and Lebanon as long as the threat persists. "We are in Gaza to ensure that Hamas, which still calls for our destruction and plans attacks, cannot repeat this massacre," he explained. "The Gaza Strip must be demilitarized and completely deradicalized. Once they are disarmed, a different future will open up for Gaza."
