Nova Party Security Chief Sues Ex-Shin Bet Head Bar for NIS 2.5 Million

Elkana Federman, who served as the security chief for the Nova music festival and was injured during the October 7th Hamas attack, has filed a NIS 2.5 million negligence lawsuit against former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. The lawsuit, filed in Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, alleges that Bar's conduct in the hours leading up to the attack was negligent, and that crucial intelligence information was not fully shared with relevant parties who could have acted to evacuate the festival.

According to the lawsuit, the Shin Bet received several unusual indicators the night before the attack, including the activation of hundreds of SIM cards prepared for Hamas operatives, unusual movements by Hamas leaders, and changes in communication patterns. A human source also reportedly warned of Hamas operatives gathering in mosques and meeting points, with this information allegedly reaching Bar. Federman claims this specific intelligence was omitted from a situation assessment meeting held at Southern Command around 3 AM, calling it a "game-changer" that could have altered the interpretation of other intelligence signs.

Federman 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 the possibility of an incursion into Israel. The lawsuit asserts that Bar "did not fully report to Southern Command," and that had the complete information been shared, the IDF would have prepared differently, and the Nova festival would have received different consideration. It further claims Bar should have directly warned the police securing the event about the potential for infiltration or kidnapping, but "through his negligence, did not lift a finger to protect the festival attendees, including the plaintiff."

The lawsuit details Federman's harrowing experience during the attack. He and his security team helped evacuate thousands of revelers until terrorists arrived at the exit, opening fire. Federman and other guards then rode ATVs towards the shooting, evacuating the wounded. He recounts taking a weapon from a severely wounded soldier, Ofir Testa, and fighting terrorists alongside police officer Andrei Pushibai, until his ammunition ran out. After Pushibai was killed, Federman took his pistol and continued advancing until he was shot. He then ran hundreds of meters while wounded, hiding in a bush for hours before being found by escapees and soldiers and evacuated to Soroka Medical Center, later undergoing two surgeries.

Federman contends that if an appropriate 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 damage, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.