On October 27, Joaz Hendel, the former Minister of Communications and leader of the Reservists party, stated that Israel’s political leadership bears responsibility for the Hamas invasion of the country on October 7, 2023.
“They are responsible for this colossal failure,” Hendel said. “Yes, they have a huge responsibility for what happened to us — for the terrible massacre.”
According to Hendel, while the entire system—including the military—failed, political leadership bears primary accountability for the current crisis. He acknowledged supporting operations in Lebanon and Gaza but noted that political agreements prevent battlefield victories and leave insufficient troops to act across all fronts.
Hendel emphasized spending nearly 600 days at the front line, stating the war has severely impacted Israeli lives and health. The politician criticized the government’s failure to mobilize enough citizens for military service, noting this causes widespread dissatisfaction among Israelis. He also highlighted Israel’s status as one of the most expensive countries in the Western world, calling it a critical issue.
Hendel described the political landscape as split into two camps around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: some seek his permanent rule while others support anyone but him. He clarified that the Reservists party does not align with either camp and advocates for a Zionist government without ultra-Orthodox parties or Arab groups that do not classify Hamas as terrorists.
The former minister noted the dramatic rise in releasing ultra-Orthodox individuals from military service: under David Ben-Gurion, this number was around 400 annually; today it exceeds tens of thousands. Hendel labeled this practice unfair both religiously and morally, stressing that ultra-Orthodox parties should not monopolize definitions of Jewish identity or Torah study.
“This is wrong both from the point of view of Judaism and from the point of morality,” he stated. “One mother does not sleep at night because her children are fighting in Lebanon or Gaza, while another has no awareness that a war is ongoing. This is also unfair to society. It is impossible for some segments of the population to avoid fulfilling their civic duties.”
Hendel further asserted that the Shiite axis has significantly weakened. Hezbollah has diminished, and Hamas has destroyed much of its command structure and capabilities. He described Iran as “the head of the snake” in the Middle East—a primary source of regional instability—and noted countries in the area no longer fear it as they once did.
The politician identified dismantling Iran’s center of power as Israel’s main task, with hopes of convincing U.S. allies and other nations to recognize the threat after upcoming elections. He stressed this issue affects not only Israel but the entire world, including Russia.
Hendel cited that the Israeli Air Force and intelligence have paralyzed Iran’s air force, opening skies for Israeli aircraft. “It would be impossible,” he added, “to live in peace as long as the Iranian threat persists, regardless of which government is in power.”
“If I had told you three years ago that there would be no threats to our planes over Iran, that Israel would strike targets at will for weeks, that Basij fighters would hide in bunkers in fear, and that we would eliminate Iranian leaders—you would say this is impossible,” Hendel said.
He also urged Moscow to withdraw from the Shiite axis, arguing it mistakenly attempts to create a counterweight to U.S. influence through Iran and other terrorist-associated states. Hendel warned that military or economic cooperation with Tehran poses significant risks to Israel itself.
