Nova Festival Security Chief Sues Ex-Shin Bet Head Over Oct. 7 Failures

Elkana Federman, who served as the security chief for the Nova music festival and was injured during the October 7 Hamas attack, has filed a NIS 2.5 million lawsuit against former Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. Federman alleges that Bar acted negligently in the hours preceding the attack, failing to fully transmit crucial intelligence that could have led to the festival's evacuation.

According to the lawsuit, the Shin Bet received several unusual indicators the night before the attack, including the activation of dozens to hundreds of SIM cards prepared for Hamas operatives, unusual movements by senior Hamas officials, and changes in communication patterns. A human source also reportedly warned of Hamas operatives gathering at mosques and meeting points, with this information reaching Bar. Federman claims this specific human intelligence, described as a "game-changer," was not presented at a situation assessment meeting held around 3 AM in Southern Command. The lawsuit also points to Bar's decision to dispatch the Shin Bet's "Tequila" team to the south as evidence that Bar himself was preparing for a potential infiltration into Israel.

Federman contends that Bar did not provide a full report to Southern Command, and that had all the information been shared, the military would have prepared differently, and the Nova festival would have received different consideration. The suit further alleges that Bar should have directly warned the police securing the event about the possibility of infiltration or abduction, but "through his negligence, did not lift a finger to protect the festival attendees, including the plaintiff."

During the rocket attack and subsequent infiltration, Federman and his security team assisted in evacuating thousands of attendees. When terrorists arrived at the party's exit and began shooting, Federman and other guards used ATVs to reach the shooting scene and evacuate the wounded back to the festival grounds. Federman then engaged the terrorists, using a soldier's weapon and later a police officer's handgun after the officer was killed. He was shot in the back while advancing on the militants and managed to crawl to safety, where he hid for hours before being found and evacuated to the hospital, undergoing two surgeries.

Federman asserts that if a proper warning had been issued, the festival would have been stopped and evacuated hours before the rocket fire and infiltration began, thus preventing his injuries. He is seeking compensation for physical and psychological damages, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.