Former Israeli Soldier Liri Albag Faces Backlash After Criticizing Netanyahu
Released hostage Liri Albag sparks outrage after holding Netanyahu accountable for October 7 failures, prompting threats and smear campaigns online.
Watan-Former Israeli soldier and ex-captive Liri Albag faced a storm of criticism on social media following a televised interview in which she blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the security failure surrounding the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, 2023.
Albag, who was captured during the attack on the Nahal Oz military base and released this past January as part of the prisoner exchange deal known as “Operation Al-Ahrar Flood,” spoke to Israel’s national broadcasting authority about her time in captivity. During the interview, she directly addressed Netanyahu, stating:
“You are responsible for everything that happened, and you need to fix what you’ve done.”
Her remarks triggered a wave of backlash, including insults and threats across social media platforms. Pro-Netanyahu accounts labeled her a “traitor” and “filthy,” with some even calling for her to be sent back to Gaza.
🔴هجوم واسع على أسيرة إسرائيلية أفرجت عنها حمـ ـاس سابقًا ضمن صفقة التبادل.. وصل الأمر إلى حد مطالبة البعض بإعادتها إلى غـ ـزة. 👇 pic.twitter.com/QXnlupbFcn
— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) April 14, 2025
Liri Albag Silenced After Backlash
Due to the mounting pressure, Albag requested the Israeli broadcaster to remove the interview from its platforms, which it subsequently did. Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that most of the attacks on Albag came from Netanyahu-supporting groups on Facebook.
Some commenters accused the former soldier of being paid to defame Netanyahu, while others claimed she was seeking fame or political attention.
Later, Albag posted a statement on her Instagram account, saying she had received hundreds of abusive messages and direct threats. She wrote:“I’m afraid—not of the comments themselves, but of what we’ve become as a society. All of this just because I said the Prime Minister is responsible for the failure on October 7! I never imagined I would receive this much hate from within Israel.”
It’s worth noting that Albag made headlines in the Hebrew press following her release, as videos showed her emotional reunion with her family. She was among the first groups of captives freed under the exchange agreement.
