Ex-Shin Bet Chief Sues Netanyahu for $800,000 Over Hamas Attack Blame

Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has filed a NIS 3 million (approximately $800,000) defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The suit stems from a September 28, 2023, post by Netanyahu on X, where he accused Bar of negligence and crimes, alleging Bar knew of the danger preceding the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, but failed to update him or take life-saving actions.

Bar is seeking financial compensation, a retraction or denial from Netanyahu, and reimbursement for legal costs. In his lawsuit, Bar acknowledges the Shin Bet's failure to provide adequate warning about the Hamas attack but vehemently denies Netanyahu's specific accusations. He argues that Netanyahu falsely portrayed him as someone who knew about the impending massacre and deliberately chose not to act, calling the claim a "blood libel" intended to shift blame solely onto him and away from the Prime Minister.

Netanyahu's post claimed Bar had numerous conversations with then-Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and then-head of Aman Aharon Haliva on the night before the attack, discussing intelligence indicators. Netanyahu further alleged that Bar decided not to inform him, alert emergency response teams, or evacuate the Nova music festival, citing the dispatch of a special unit, "Tequila," as proof Bar knew of the imminent danger.

Bar refutes these claims, stating he did not speak with Halevi or Haliva that night. He asserts that Shin Bet officials did share information with the IDF and the Prime Minister's Military Secretariat. The lawsuit details the Shin Bet's actions, including discussions with the IDF starting at 11 PM, the dispatch of the "Tequila" unit around 2 AM, and a computerized alert issued at 3:03 AM indicating potential Hamas activity, though Bar admits this alert was disseminated at a lower level than ideal and that the Shin Bet did not anticipate a full-scale invasion at the time.

Bar further contends that the IDF and emergency response teams are not under Shin Bet jurisdiction, and the agency shared the intelligence it possessed with relevant parties. He denies knowledge of the Nova festival, stating the Shin Bet does not license or approve such events. Regarding the "Tequila" unit, he explains its initial dispatch was to counter a potential attack, not necessarily a full-scale invasion, and that the decision to advance the unit closer to the border and update the Prime Minister's Military Secretary was made later. Bar also notes that the Military Secretariat, through which the Prime Minister is officially updated, was informed, and that Netanyahu never provided him with a personal phone number for direct contact.

The lawsuit also addresses Bar's warnings to Netanyahu throughout 2023 about Hamas's growing capabilities and the risk of conflict, including a July 23, 2023, warning of "strategic warning for war." Bar accuses Netanyahu of prioritizing maintaining quiet and delaying confrontations, claiming his recommendations for offensive actions were not pursued. He alleges Netanyahu's post is part of a pattern of statements against him since the war began, which he claims have also harmed his family.