Ex-Shin Bet Chief Bar Sues Netanyahu for Defamation Over Oct. 7 Blame
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar filed a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of spreading a "blood libel" about the October 7th attacks. Bar claims he repeatedly warned Netanyahu of escalating threats from Gaza and proposed eliminating Hamas leaders, but his warnings were ignored. The lawsuit details numerous intelligence reports and meetings from the year before the attack, asserting Netanyahu sought to shift blame. Bar stated that without a state inquiry, the truth will be revealed in court.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar sued Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for defamation.
- Bar alleges Netanyahu spread a "blood libel" regarding the October 7th Hamas attacks.
- The lawsuit claims Bar repeatedly warned Netanyahu of escalating threats from Gaza.
- Bar also proposed assassinating Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, which he says was ignored.
- Bar asserts Netanyahu sought to shift blame for the October 7th failures onto him.
- Bar calls for the truth to be revealed in court, absent a state inquiry commission.
Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has filed a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alleging that Netanyahu spread a "blood libel" against him regarding the October 7th Hamas attacks. Bar's lawsuit, filed with the Central District Court, details dozens of warnings he claims were given to Netanyahu in the year preceding the massacre. According to the suit, Netanyahu sought to shift blame for the events solely onto Bar.
Bar's legal filing asserts that in the months leading up to October 7th, he repeatedly alerted Netanyahu to the imminent threat of a multi-front escalation, specifically highlighting the Gaza Strip and the High Holidays period. The lawsuit claims Bar also proposed targeted assassinations of Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, but these warnings and proposals were allegedly ignored or dismissed by the Prime Minister.
In his statement, Bar acknowledged his responsibility as head of the Shin Bet for intelligence failures related to the October 7th attack, stating he resigned out of respect for the bereaved families. However, he contends that Netanyahu pursued a policy of maintaining quiet in Gaza "at all costs," even facilitating Hamas funding against Shin Bet recommendations, and that Netanyahu blocked his attempts to influence policy. Bar is calling on the Prime Minister not to hide behind claims of immunity, stating that without a state inquiry commission, the truth will emerge in court.
The lawsuit also presents evidence, including documents and testimonies, which Bar claims refute Netanyahu's assertions that he did not receive prior warnings. It details specific instances from November 2022 to October 2023 where Bar allegedly provided intelligence and recommendations, often met with no substantive response or a dismissal from Netanyahu, who Bar claims viewed the Shin Bet as outside the scope of national security strategy formulation.
