Netanyahu Rejects Shin Bet Chief's Lawsuit, Questions His Actions
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar filed a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming Netanyahu falsely stated he received no warnings before October 7th. Netanyahu retorted, questioning why Bar didn't use available channels to contact him with intelligence. Bar's suit argues that evidence contradicts Netanyahu's claims and that the Prime Minister is trying to shift blame for the security failure. The lawsuit also states that the government considered allowing Hamas to govern the West Bank prior to the attack.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar sued Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for defamation.
- Bar claims Netanyahu falsely stated he received no warnings before the October 7th attack.
- Netanyahu questioned why Bar didn't use available channels to contact him with intelligence.
- Bar's lawsuit asserts Netanyahu is trying to shift blame for the security failure.
- The government reportedly considered allowing Hamas to rule the West Bank before October 7th.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to a defamation lawsuit filed against him by former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, accusing Bar of not acting on intelligence prior to the October 7th attack. Bar's lawsuit, filed on Wednesday at the Central District Court, claims that documents and testimonies contradict Netanyahu's assertions that he did not receive repeated warnings before the massacre and that information was withheld from him. Netanyahu questioned Bar's actions, stating, "Ronen, are you serious? You had my red phone number, and you could have immediately called me as all heads of the security system do. My Shin Bet security detail, your subordinates, who are with me 24/7, could have reached me in minutes. How many lives could we have saved if you had only called on time?"
Bar's lawsuit alleges that Netanyahu's accusations against senior security officials are an attempt to deflect responsibility for the events and place the blame on the former Shin Bet head. The lawsuit emphasizes that it is not an attempt to evade responsibility, which Bar states he has already accepted, but rather addresses Netanyahu's allegedly defamatory publications intended to assign him blame for the failure. Bar's legal filing asserts that the Prime Minister's claims are contradicted by evidence and that the government considered allowing Hamas to rule in the West Bank two months before the attack.
