IDF Ordered to Stand Down for 7 Hours During Initial Attack

(LibertyInsider.org) – The leader of a well-known Jewish charity has accused Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of purposely delaying the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initial response to Hamas on October 7. Independent journalist Lauren Witzke spoke to Cecily Routman, the leader of the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation, in a video interview first published to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Routman opened the interview emphasizing Israel’s top-tier intelligence capabilities, rejecting any notion that the nation’s leaders were caught off guard by the attack. Then, she revealed a “friendly” association with Rabbi Chananya Weissman, a purportedly well-connected individual with access to the Israeli government. Weissman reportedly shared intelligence that proved Israel intentionally delayed taking military action.

Citing the rabbi’s “confidential sources,” the charity leader said he told her about an purported stand-down order from Netanyahu. This directive instructed both the Israeli army and air force to refrain from action for a seven-hour window.

Although Routman did not directly address what motivated Netanyahu to issue the order within the short clip, she did point out that the alleged wait time allowed terrorists to cross the border and begin slaughtering citizens. She also blamed Israel for failing to take action beforehand.

Witzke alluded to a motive in a personal opinion shared alongside the post. “[This situation] would not be the first time a [world] leader sacrificed their own citizens to start a war,” she wrote. She also likened the attack to “Israel’s 9/11.”

Routman’s reports seem to line up with statements from Israeli citizens living on the border of the Gaza Strip. One resident, Efrat Fenigson, wrote on October 7 that the military was nowhere to be found six hours after the surprise attack began.

Yet, other reports appear to directly conflict with Routman’s intelligence. A timeline shared by The New York Times confirms a gap, but states that Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant declared war at 10:06 a.m. local time, just over three hours after the attack began. It also claims that the air force was actively striking targets 45 minutes later.

Regardless of the specifics, what is clear is that there was a delay between the time Hamas launched its attack and when Israel launched its response. Exactly what that means isn’t easy to confirm, at least for the moment.

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