Netanyahu confidant, suspected of altering Oct. 7 minutes, approved as Israel’s UK Ambassador
Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, in Jerusalem in 2024
Liza Rozovsky and Josh Breiner report in Haaretz on 17 September 2025:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pick for Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, his chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, got the approval of the Civil Service Commissioner on Monday. If the appointment is also approved by the cabinet, Braverman would replace Tzipi Hotovely, a former Likud MK and minister who was also appointed by Netanyahu.
Braverman, who served in the past as the cabinet secretary, is considered one of the people closest to Netanyahu. He was investigated by police on suspicion of altering the record of the conversations between Netanyahu and his military secretary, Maj. Gen. Avi Gil, on the morning of October 7.
The investigation examined whether Braverman tried to alter the records of the conversations in a manner that would work in the prime minister’s favor, specifically so that they would indicate that Netanyahu gave instructions to Gil during their first conversation at 6:29 A.M. on the morning of October 7, rather than during their second conversation at 6:40, as was actually the case.
According to the information received by Haaretz, Netanyahu was first informed about the start of the Hamas assault at about 6:29, immediately after sirens began to sound throughout the country, while he was still at his home in Caesarea. Maj. Gen. Gil hastened to inform Netanyahu on a regular phone line about the barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.
Gil told Netanyahu that, in his opinion, it was a surprise attack by Hamas. He added that based on information he had received 10 minutes earlier concerning the identification of unusual activity in the Gaza Strip, the defense establishment was planning to convene a situation assessment with the participation of senior defense officials.
During that conversation, Gil and Netanyahu decided to speak again 10 minutes later. And in fact, at about 6:40 the two spoke again, this time on the “red phone” in their homes, which is secured against eavesdropping.
Gil then updated Netanyahu with the initial information he had received, which included the unusual identification by the Shin Bet security service regarding the activation of Israeli SIM cards by Hamas members in Gaza. At the conclusion of the conversation, which lasted for a few minutes, Gil and Netanyahu decided to meet at the Kirya defense establishment headquarters in Tel Aviv in order to manage the developing crisis from there.
According to the police investigation, about five months later, on February 12, Braverman turned to an employee in the Prime Minister’s Office – who had access to the records of the conversations on the red phone – and asked her to transcribe Netanyahu’s conversations on the morning of October 7. After perusing them he ordered her to change the time of the second conversation. “Change it to 6:29,” said Braverman. And in fact, in the records being held by the police, the time of the document was changed.
If Braverman is appointed to the post of ambassador, he will have to deal with harsh criticism and many steps that are being taken by the U.K. government against Israel.
Among other things, in May the British government announced a freeze on the discussions for a new free trade agreement with Israel, and in July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he intends to recognize a Palestinian state at the end of September.
In addition, in June, the U.K. – along with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway – announced that it would impose sanctions against Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, for repeated “incitement to violence” against Palestinians in the West Bank.
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