Ex-Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar to Sue Netanyahu Over Oct. 7 Blame

Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has announced he will sue Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for defamation, accusing the premier of launching a baseless campaign to deflect blame for the October 7th Hamas attacks. Bar's statement marks his first public response to Netanyahu's accusations, which blamed the former Shin Bet head for failing to prevent the massacre and for not adequately warning the Prime Minister.

Netanyahu had previously claimed that Bar, despite receiving intelligence indicating imminent danger and holding discussions with military leaders on the eve of October 7th, chose not to inform the Prime Minister, evacuate civilian communities, or alert reserve forces. Netanyahu alleged that Bar only dispatched a small team, suggesting prior knowledge of the real threat.

In response, Bar vehemently denied these claims, stating that Netanyahu is attempting to divert responsibility for his own failures and the refusal to establish a state inquiry commission. Bar asserted that he had repeatedly warned Netanyahu of an impending disaster in an unprecedented manner, but these warnings, along with recommendations to strengthen deterrence and border security, were ignored.

Bar's legal team intends to file a defamation lawsuit and seeks the disclosure of classified documents, including Netanyahu's meeting logs with security officials and foreign dignitaries, as well as testimony from Netanyahu's staff. Bar stated that he initially believed it was best to wait for the official inquiry commission but can no longer tolerate the continuation of what he described as lies, factual distortions, and manipulative dissemination of misleading information by the Prime Minister.