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

Host Ayla Hasson, speaking on Radio Galey Israel, commented on the attempted downing of a Flydubai plane, comparing the incident to the failures leading up to the October 7th Hamas attacks. Hasson suggested that former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was misled, stating, "Why is he going crazy? Because they worked him, spun him around their little finger." She asserted that despite numerous intelligence signs, including "SIM cards lighting up," Israeli security forces and military intelligence dismissed them, believing Hamas and Sinwar sought a deal. Prime Minister Netanyahu, meanwhile, claimed the pilot attempted to crash the plane with its passengers.

In a rare public response last week, former Shin Bet head Ronen Bar announced he would sue Prime Minister Netanyahu and demand the release of classified documents. Bar's statement came after Netanyahu accused the Shin Bet chief of failing to prevent the October 7th massacre. Netanyahu alleged that Bar, despite discussing intelligence signs with the then-Chief of Staff Hertzi Halevi and head of military intelligence Aman, failed to alert emergency forces, the IDF, or evacuate the Nova music festival, suggesting he knew of a real danger.

Bar vehemently attacked Netanyahu's claims, calling them a "baseless and unrealistic incitement campaign." He accused the Prime Minister of manipulating documents and spreading misinformation to deflect responsibility for his own failures over the past three years, particularly his refusal to establish a state inquiry commission. Bar asserted that he had warned Netanyahu of an impending disaster in an unprecedented manner, but the Prime Minister ignored these warnings and recommendations to bolster deterrence and border security.

Bar stated that he had initially waited for an official commission to be formed but could no longer tolerate the "sequence of lies." He accused Netanyahu of distorting facts and protocols to mislead the public as the extent of the warnings he received before October 7th began to emerge. Consequently, Bar instructed his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against Netanyahu and to summon witnesses who allegedly distorted documents and spread false information against him.