Ex-military secretary Avi Gil accuses Netanyahu's office of trying to alter Oct. 7 records
Maj. Gen. Avi Gil, Netanyahu's military secretary from 2021 to 2024, says an attempt was made to change official records of the prime minister's calls and schedule on 7 October 2023. Netanyahu's Likud party says the comments are part of an effort to oust him.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Right · 1Maj. Gen. Avi Gil, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's former military secretary, has accused Netanyahu of altering official transcripts of phone calls from the morning of the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, according to AP copy carried by Arab News. Arab NewsRC “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former military secretary has accused the Israeli leader of altering official transcripts of phone calls from the morning of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks.” Read at Arab News ↗ Right · 1The accusations came in a wide-ranging interview with the right-wing Israel Hayom newspaper, with excerpts published on Thursday 8 October. Arab NewsRC “The accusations by Maj. Gen. Avi Gil came in a wide-ranging interview with the right-wing Israel Hayom newspaper.” Read at Arab News ↗ Right · 1Gil said the attempt was to change records of their calls in the first hour of the attack, possibly to shift blame for that morning's failures from the prime minister to his advisers; the attempt was allegedly made by Netanyahu's chief of staff, and Gil said they reported it to the attorney general. Arab NewsRC “Gil accused Netanyahu of attempting to change records of their phone calls in the first hour of the attack, possibly in an attempt to shift blame for failures that morning from the prime minister to his advisers.”“Gil said he reported the attempt, allegedly made by Netanyahu's chief of staff, to the attorney general.” Read at Arab News ↗
Right · 1Speaking to N12 News, Gil said the document of Netanyahu's schedule shared with the public does not reflect what they saw, experienced and heard that day, and that it shows only part of it, according to The Jerusalem Post. The Jerusalem PostRC “"The document shared with the public [of Netanyahu's schedule] does not reflect what I saw and experienced and heard that day," Gil said. "It only shows part.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 1Gil said the public deserves the truth, that they had hoped a state commission of inquiry would be established but doubted it would be, and that they decided to speak out in recent weeks. The Jerusalem PostRC ““There are too many lies in the air, and the public deserves to know the truth,” Gil said in a pre-cut of the interview.”“In the past few weeks, I realized I had to come out and say what I knew.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 1Gil also said Netanyahu heard warnings from agency heads before the attack, and that suggestions for targeted strikes in Gaza were denied; Gil called 7 October "Israel's failure". The Jerusalem PostRC “October 7 was Israel's failure. Netanyahu heard it all from agency heads, everything that was known.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗
Right · 1Gil confirmed that a senior Egyptian intelligence official visited Israel shortly before the attack. Asked whether a warning was given, Gil said they did not know what message was relayed but that whoever received something "is still concealing it today". Arab NewsRC “In the interview, Gil also confirmed that a senior Egyptian intelligence official had visited Israel shortly before the Oct. 7 attack.”“Whoever met with someone or received something is still concealing it today.”” Read at Arab News ↗ Right · 1Netanyahu's Likud party told Israel Hayom that Gil's comments are part of an attempt to oust him, the paper said; the report comes as Netanyahu seeks re-election on 27 October. Arab NewsRC “His Likud party told Israel Hayom that Gil's comments are part of an attempt to oust Netanyahu from power, the paper said.”“The report comes as Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is seeking re-election on Oct. 27.” Read at Arab News ↗ Right · 2Gil's full interview is expected over the weekend, with a television interview also planned; Gil served as military secretary from 2021 to 2024, and The Jerusalem Post describes its report as a developing story. Arab NewsRC “Gil’s full interview is expected to be published over the weekend, and an interview with an Israeli TV channel is also planned.” Read at Arab News ↗ The Jerusalem PostRC “This is a developing story.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets report Gil's allegations straight, leading on the claim that Netanyahu's office tried to alter Oct. 7 records; Arab News (AP copy) adds the election timing and Likud's rebuttal, while the Jerusalem Post foregrounds Gil's own quotes about truth and the failure to hold an inquiry.
- Emphasis
- Arab News: the alteration claim, the Egyptian intelligence visit, election date and Likud's response. Jerusalem Post: Gil's quotes on 'the country's truth', the missing state commission of inquiry and ignored warnings.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The Jerusalem Post excerpt carries no response from Netanyahu or Likud; Arab News does not include Gil's remarks on the missing commission of inquiry or ignored warnings.
- Charged language
- “massacre”“too many lies in the air”
- For example
-
“His Likud party told Israel Hayom that Gil's comments are part of an attempt to oust Netanyahu from power, the paper said.” — Arab News
““What the public is being told is not what actually happened,” he added. “This isn't my truth. It's the country's truth.”” — The Jerusalem Post
What every side reports
- Avi Gil, Netanyahu's former military secretary, alleges an attempt by Netanyahu's chief of staff to change official records of 7 October 2023.
- Gil's allegations were made in interviews published or previewed on Thursday 8 October.
Where accounts differ
-
Motive and truth of Gil's allegations
- Right
- Arab News (AP): Likud says Gil's comments are part of an attempt to oust Netanyahu; Gil says the public deserves the truth (Jerusalem Post).
Avi Gil person
Says the public record of 7 October does not match what they saw, that an attempt was made to change records, that they reported it to the attorney general, and that the public deserves the truth.
“Gil said he reported the attempt, allegedly made by Netanyahu's chief of staff, to the attorney general.” — Arab News
““There are too many lies in the air, and the public deserves to know the truth,” Gil said in a pre-cut of the interview.” — The Jerusalem Post
Benjamin Netanyahu person
Through his Likud party, dismisses Gil's comments as part of an attempt to oust him from power; he is seeking re-election on 27 October.
“His Likud party told Israel Hayom that Gil's comments are part of an attempt to oust Netanyahu from power, the paper said.” — Arab News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
-
Arab NewsRC · · via AP
Former military secretary accuses Netanyahu of trying to alter Oct. 7 records
Neutral AP copy carried by Arab News reports Gil's allegations, the Egyptian intelligence visit, the election context and Likud's rebuttal.
-
Former military secretary alleges attempt to alter official records of Oct. 7 massacre timeline
Neutral Reports Gil's N12 interview quotes about the incomplete public record, absent inquiry and ignored warnings, as a developing story.
- 8 Oct 14:32 First Arab NewsRC Former military secretary accuses Netanyahu of trying to alter Oct. 7 records via AP
- 8 Oct 19:08 +4h 35m The Jerusalem PostRC Former military secretary alleges attempt to alter official records of Oct. 7 massacre timeline
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.