Ra'am chief says Netanyahu trusted Hamas's Sinwar, vows to testify before state inquiry on Oct. 7

"[Netanyahu] trusted Yahya Sinwar and told me: 'Yahya Sinwar and I understand each other.' He said that about himself, and I was stunned," said Mansour Abbas.

Ra'am party chairman MK Mansour Abbas said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told him during a 2021 meeting at the official residence on Balfour Street, amid Operation Guardian of the Walls, that he trusted then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and that the two understood each other.

In an interview with N12 on Tuesday, Abbas recounted the words he alleges Netanyahu spoke to him: "That same prime minister trusted Yahya Sinwar and told me: 'Yahya Sinwar and I understand each other.' He said that about himself, and I was stunned."

According to Abbas, during that same meeting, Netanyahu also referred to a message he had received from Sinwar, asking him: "Didn't you see what he sent me?"

Abbas explained that before that conversation, he had no knowledge of the letter Sinwar sent to Netanyahu, which contained the phrase "calculated risk."

Abbas said the letter referenced was previously revealed as part of contacts aimed at reaching an arrangement in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar conveyed a message written in Hebrew through intermediaries that included those words.

The statements attributed to Netanyahu in the interview reflect Abbas's version of the conversation.

Abbas says Netanyahu trusted Sinwar and neglected public security

Later in the interview, Abbas harshly criticized Netanyahu's conduct and the trust he allegedly placed in Sinwar.

"He trusted Yahya Sinwar, went to sleep at night, and abandoned the security of the citizens of the State of Israel," he said.

Abbas added that the remarks made during that meeting stayed with him, leading him to believe he must testify about them before a state commission of inquiry.

"I tried to understand what he was trying to tell me. Every time I thought about a state commission of inquiry, I told myself I must stand before the commission and tell them these things."

Abbas has previously spoken about his meetings with Netanyahu at Balfour during Operation Guardian of the Walls, which took place against the backdrop of political contacts between Likud and Ra'am.

However, the current claim specifically addresses the content of their conversation, during which, according to Abbas, Netanyahu expressed trust in Sinwar.