Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert once again directed sharp criticism at the war government, urging the approval of a prisoner exchange deal, followed by a continuation of the fighting. In an interview with Israeli Channel 12, Olmert stated that "Israel suffered its greatest defeat in history, both militarily and nationally, on October 7, 2023."
He added, "The Israeli government has been trying since October 7 to make us forget this defeat through boastful actions, bragging, and promises of things that are unlikely to be fulfilled. They hope that over time, with bombing and strikes, the severity of the initial blow will be forgotten."
Olmert reiterated accusations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming he "does not want to do what is necessary to retrieve the prisoners," stating, "We cannot continue to deceive ourselves or pretend we want to recover the prisoners; fighting must cease, otherwise, we will not eliminate Hamas or save the prisoners."
Last week, Olmert launched a fierce attack on the current war government in an interview on Israeli Channel 4, saying that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want to implement a deal to free the Israelis held by Hamas, which makes us, as he put it, 'manipulating the lives of the prisoners.'" Olmert pointed out that "Netanyahu erred by setting an unattainable goal for the war," emphasizing that "all the achievements the army realizes do not come close to the declared objective of completely destroying Hamas."
Olmert accused Netanyahu of seeking "internal conflicts and undermining trust in the Chief of Staff and Israel's security leadership."
