Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, publicly distanced himself from President Trump's endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just days before Israel's election, saying he is "not wild" about the move.
On his "War Room" podcast Monday, Bannon said Trump's wholehearted backing of Netanyahu over the weekend was a point of contention within his inner circle. "An endorsement by President Trump that, as you can imagine, in the War Room, we were not wild about," he said, adding, "I take a very different take on Netanyahu."
Bannon's criticism centers on the lack of accountability for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which killed around 1,200 Israelis and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. He referenced reporting by former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Yaakov Katz that accused Israel's government of ignoring intelligence warnings about the impending assault.
"Where is the investigation of the Oct. 7 situation?" Bannon asked. He accused Netanyahu's government of blocking any such probe and called for the United States to conduct "a massive investigation of our own" into the events leading up to the attack.
The call for scrutiny comes amid reports that Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed warned Netanyahu of a potential major attack before October 2023, as detailed by The New York Times and Israeli outlet Haaretz. Netanyahu has denied those claims and threatened to sue Haaretz for what he called "a malicious fabrication with clear political timing."
Bannon's remarks highlight a growing rift within Trump's orbit over Middle East policy. While Trump praised Netanyahu as "Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself," Bannon's stance reflects a more skeptical view of the Israeli leader's handling of the war and his political future.
Netanyahu is seeking a record seventh term as prime minister, having served since 1996. He faces ongoing corruption charges, including fraud and bribery, which are now in trial, and an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza—charges he denies.
The war's toll continues to mount, with more than 74,000 Palestinians dead in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, even after a ceasefire was reached last October. Israeli strikes have persisted, complicating any path to peace.
Bannon's push for an investigation into Oct. 7 aligns with broader calls from some U.S. lawmakers for greater transparency on Israeli intelligence failures. As the election approaches, his break with Trump over Netanyahu could signal deeper divisions within the Republican base over foreign policy priorities.
