Ex-Shin Bet Chief Bar Sues Netanyahu for Defamation Over Oct. 7 Blame
Translated & summarized from Hamal by baba
Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has filed a NIS 1 million defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of falsely blaming Bar for the October 7th attacks. Bar claims he repeatedly warned Netanyahu of an impending escalation, particularly regarding Gaza, but his warnings were ignored. The lawsuit asserts Netanyahu's policy of "quiet at all costs" in Gaza, including financing Hamas, contributed to the failures. Bar also presented evidence that the Shin Bet issued timely warnings on October 7th, contradicting Netanyahu's claims.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar sued Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for NIS 1 million over defamation.
- Bar alleges Netanyahu falsely blamed him for failures leading to the October 7th Hamas attacks.
- The lawsuit claims Bar repeatedly warned Netanyahu of a multi-front escalation before October 7th.
- Bar accuses Netanyahu of pursuing a policy of "quiet at all costs" in Gaza, which included financing Hamas.
- The suit contends that the Shin Bet issued timely warnings on the night of October 7th.
- Bar seeks to expose what he calls Netanyahu's "false narrative" and prevent further damage to national security.
Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar filed a NIS 1 million defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, alleging that Netanyahu has falsely attributed blame for the October 7th Hamas attacks to Bar.
In his lawsuit, filed at the Central District Court, Bar claims that in the months leading up to October 7th, he repeatedly warned Netanyahu about the potential for a multi-front escalation, particularly concerning the Gaza Strip and the High Holidays. Bar also presented initiatives to eliminate senior Hamas officials, but these warnings and plans were allegedly dismissed or ignored by the Prime Minister.
Bar stated that his lawsuit is not an attempt to evade his own responsibility, but rather a response to Netanyahu's defamatory publications aimed at shifting his own accountability onto Bar's shoulders. "As the one who headed the service, I bear responsibility for the Shin Bet's part in failing to provide the necessary intelligence regarding the October 7th attack and its timing," Bar said in a statement. "Accordingly, with my head bowed before the bereaved families, I resigned from my position."
The lawsuit further alleges that Netanyahu pursued a long-standing policy of "quiet at all costs" in Gaza, which included explicit directives to avoid confrontations, maintain Gaza as a secondary arena, and preserve Hamas as the governing entity. This policy, according to Bar, involved financing Hamas's military buildup through Qatari funds, contrary to the Shin Bet's long-held position, and was based on the assumption that Hamas was deterred, an assumption Bar strongly contested.
Bar also presented evidence refuting claims that the Shin Bet withheld information on the night of October 7th, stating that the agency disseminated warnings to all security bodies starting at 3:03 AM. He asserted that the Prime Minister's Military Secretary and other security agencies were updated, and that Netanyahu's own Military Secretary was briefed before the attack began. The lawsuit claims Netanyahu, who has served as Prime Minister for nearly two decades and overseen all security bodies, knows the Shin Bet is not responsible for managing military forces or approving civilian events, calling his accusations "malicious and completely false libel intended to hide the truth."
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