Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Danino family, who were sitting shiva for their son Ori, murdered in Hamas captivity and his body returned to Israel. During the visit the family blamed Netanyahu for the October 7th massacre.
In recordings published by Kan News on Monday evening, Netanyahu was heard saying to the family, “I want to tell you that we prayed and hoped to bring him and the others, but we couldn't. I apologize to you that we couldn't. He deserved to be with you, and you deserve to be with him.”
Danino replied: "Sir, my son was murdered in the tunnels you built. They were built on your watch, with concrete and money you put into Gaza over 15 years."
“Stop focusing on fighting and disputes. This country needs unity. Close your office and spend ten minutes a day thinking about the national value you want to instill," Danino told Netanyahu, adding “think about the Jewish value you want to bring to this country. Spend time alone with your Creator and think where the Holy One, blessed be He, is in your picture.”
"This disaster happened because of the divide and separation in the nation. It is so clear that this is what happened. Don't get involved in petty and cheap politics, there is no cost to human life."
Danino added, shouting: "I'm saying this for the sake of the others who are still there. God gave me a miracle that my son is buried in the holy city, Jerusalem. To bury an intact body has become a miracle? Where have we gotten to? It’s time to wake up!”
“It’s time to bring unity, love for our fellow Jews, back into our lives. You were elected as our leader, so lead. Wake up! Stop messing around with political pettiness. I really don't know if there was a [hostage] deal or not. But forgive me, Sir, it all happened on your shift. You have been in power for many years. My son was murdered in a tunnel you built on your shift. The concrete and dollars entered Gaza on your shift. We kept quiet for 11 months, because we believe in God. But I believe that nothing will change. Think about the Jewish value you bring to this country.”
At this point, one of Uri's brothers said: "There is no price on one’s life. We are lucky that Ori is buried on Mount Herzl, but how many more plots are there going to be there? How much blood has been spilled on this soil. We do not live by the sword, we do not sanctify death, we sanctify life. The nation of Israel sanctifies life."
Netanyahu responded, saying: "I understand what it is to lose a brother. They said the same things to me then. The feeling is so close. The pain is unbearable. Everything reminds you of him. You asked if we will always be living on the sword, and my answer is that if we do not hold the sword in our hand, it will eat us up. We are facing a monster.”
Danino responded: "You didn't do anything for 15 years. For 15 years you sat quietly and equipped them with swords and tunnels and dollars. You did nothing. You should have killed him (Hamas) when he was little. Why did you wait for him to become a monster? You waited, he became a monster and attacked us. You have been chosen to lead the Jewish state in the Land of Israel, blessed be the Holy One."
Netanyahu concluded: "I heard you and I understand. I was sitting in the same chair when they came and talked the way I am talking to you, and it only annoyed me. In the end, the many things I heard, later turned out to be true. We are fighting against a cruel enemy, but this is not the real enemy. The real enemy is Iran. And for 15 or 20 years I have been fighting to explain this to the citizens of Israel and the world, that this enemy has come to destroy us. He's using messengers, he's building a nuclear weapon to drop on us. And I am fighting to save us from this thing, because if I don't fight, we will all be destroyed."