Father of Murdered Israeli Hostage Blames Netanyahu to His Face For His Son’s Death

Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was recorded being confronted by the father of a hostage murdered in Hamas captivity while he attended the shiva for the slain hostage whose body was returned to Israel last week.

Elhanan Danino, the father of hostage Ori Danino, spoke to Netanyahu and his wife Sara during the traditional seven-day mourning for his son, who was brutally killed alongside five other hostages as the IDF worked to rescue them. Ori Danino, 25, suffered through 11 months of Hamas captivity in underground tunnels after being captured by gunmen while attending a music festival.

Elhanan Danino confronted Netanyahu about the political divisions in the country, appearing to refer to his efforts to overhaul the Supreme Court, which resulted in months of protests and domestic strife ahead of the devastating attack on southern Israel by Hamas on October 7th.

Elhanan Danino told Netanyahu, “You people on high have to stop dealing with nonsense and stirring up fights and disagreement. Without unity, we don’t deserve this country; there will be no rebuilding without this land.”

“Shut your office for 10 minutes a day and think about where your Jewish values are. Shut it down, send everyone out, no phones, spend time alone with your creator and think, where is God in your picture, where are your Jewish values?” he added, according to a translated transcript of the exchange published by the Times of Israel on Monday.

“This disaster happened because of the division and schisms. It’s as clear as the sun that’s what happened. Don’t spend time on petty and cheap politics and spin. There is no price on human life,” the grieving father said, adding:

You are a leader. You were elected, sent to lead. Clear away all the nonsense. Too many other things have gotten in…

“What things?” Netanyahu replied.

Elhanan Danino responded, “Stop dealing with gathering Knesset seats — with surveys, what will bring [support], what won’t. Stop it. I truly don’t know if there was a deal [to be done to save Ori and other hostages] or not. I’m not getting into that. But forgive me, sir, this all happened on your watch.” He continued:

My son was murdered in a tunnel that you built on your watch [by allowing funds and dual-use materials into Gaza]. Forgive me, forgive me. You’ve been in power for many years. Very many. The concrete and the dollars went in [to Gaza] on your watch.

Shut yourself in a room and think about the Jewish value that you bring — not the Jewish identity of the State of Israel — we’ll control here, control there. In the end, the Holy One Blessed Be He does everything. Strong as we were before this, on Simchat Torah we got a slap unlike any other. A slap.

Netanyahu replied, “I won’t tell you what goes on behind closed doors. It won’t interest you that much either… I was alone… Against the whole world. Facing the president of the United States and people here, and facing military elements here. To fight and to explain. It’s not only Hamas. It’s not only Hezbollah. It’s an atomic weapon they’ll drop here on all of us… I enter [my office] every day and ask myself, Why are you here? What am I here for? Why”

“You didn’t do it [tackle Hamas] for 15 years…. 15 years you sat in silence. You did nothing,” responded Elhanan Danino.

“I didn’t sit in silence,” replied Netanyahu as Elhanan Danino interjected, “You equipped them with tunnels and dollars… Did you come here to listen or to be listened to? Because what you have to say we’ve heard for 15 years.”

Listen to part of the exchange above.