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Netanyahu must be removed, top former Israeli national security officials say.

 

CNN - More than 40 senior former Israeli national security officials, celebrated scientists, and prominent business leaders have written a letter to Israel's president and speaker of parliament, demanding the removal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office. They argue that Netanyahu poses an "existential" threat to the country. The letter is signed by four former directors of Israel's foreign and domestic security services, two former heads of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and three Nobel Prize winners.

 

The letter condemns the coalition formed by Netanyahu to create the most right-wing government in Israel's history, as well as his controversial attempts to reform the country's judiciary. The letter argues that these efforts resulted in security lapses that led to the October 7 attacks, the deadliest day in Israel's history.

"We believe that Netanyahu is primarily responsible for creating the circumstances that led to the brutal massacre of over 1,200 Israelis and others, the injury of over 4,500, and the kidnapping of more than 230 individuals, of whom over 130 are still held captive by Hamas. The blood of the victims is on Netanyahu's hands." 

 

The letter was sent to Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday and to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana on Friday.

Netanyahu's popularity has fallen dramatically since starting his sixth term as prime minister, just over a year ago. Critics have criticized his judicial reform efforts - which threatened to trigger a constitutional crisis and divided the country, with months of massive, regular demonstrations.

Leaders of Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas openly praised what they correctly saw as a destabilizing and erosive process of Israel's stability, led by Netanyahu, and seized the opportunity to harm and damage Israel's security.

Among the 43 signatories are former IDF chiefs Moshe Ya'alon and Dan Halutz, Tamir Pardo, and Danny Yatom, who ran the Mossad intelligence agency, and Nadav Argaman and Yaakov Peri, who were directors of the domestic security service, Shin Bet.

Former CEOs, ambassadors, government officials, and three Nobel laureates for chemistry - Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko, and Dan Shechtman - also signed the letter.

A poll released this week by Israel's Channel 13 suggests that Netanyahu's political party, Likud, would now come in a distant second if elections were held today. The frontrunner in the poll was the National Unity Party led by former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, currently a member of Netanyahu's war cabinet.

The next elections are not scheduled until late 2026, although there have been protests and demands for early elections, including from one of Israel's main opposition leaders, Yair Lapid.