Ex-Shin Bet Chief Sues Netanyahu for $800,000 Over Oct. 7 Blame

Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has filed a NIS 3 million (approximately $800,000) defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bar alleges that Netanyahu spread false information blaming him for failures leading to the October 7th Hamas attack.

The lawsuit, filed in the Central District Court, follows months of public accusations between the two regarding the circumstances of the attack and prior security preparations. Bar claims that contrary to Netanyahu's statements, he did not withhold information about the impending attack or fail to relay warnings. He asserts that throughout 2023, he presented Netanyahu with a concerning security picture, including Hamas's strengthening, the impact of Israel's internal crisis on deterrence, and the risk of multi-front escalation.

Bar's suit includes a detailed timeline of meetings, assessments, and documents allegedly shared with Netanyahu from late 2022 until the days before October 7th. According to the timeline, Bar sent Netanyahu a personal letter in February 2023 warning of a dangerous combination of Israeli societal rifts and Palestinian instability. Subsequent documents reportedly detailed rising attacks, Hamas's buildup, and the possibility of a multi-front conflict. A July 2023 document reportedly presented an analysis of threats and recommendations for renewed preemptive actions, to which Netanyahu allegedly responded in writing that the Shin Bet is not responsible for national strategy in a democracy.

Bar claims that Netanyahu's accusations are personal and intended to divert attention from the political echelon's responsibility for policies toward Hamas and to undermine those who opposed interests aligned with Qatar. He stated that he waited three years for an investigative committee to reveal the Shin Bet's actions and failures amidst a "blood libel," and that Netanyahu's recent statements and the lack of progress on a state inquiry committee prompted the lawsuit. Bar seeks to use the legal process to examine warnings and the political leadership's responses based on documentation.

Netanyahu had previously claimed that Bar and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi identified precursors to the attack hours before it began, suggesting earlier action could have prevented it. Bar acknowledges the Shin Bet's intelligence failures regarding the attack's timing and nature, and stated his resignation was an acceptance of responsibility. He insists, however, that Netanyahu has exceeded legitimate criticism by making false personal accusations, particularly regarding the Shin Bet's role in managing military forces or civilian security, which he argues falls outside the agency's purview.