Ex-Shin Bet Chief Sues Netanyahu for Defamation Over Oct. 7 Blame
Translated & summarized from Arab48 by baba
Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has filed a NIS 3 million defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bar accuses Netanyahu of falsely blaming him for intelligence failures preceding the October 7 Hamas attack. The lawsuit details Bar's numerous warnings to Netanyahu about Hamas's growing strength and opposition to Qatari aid. Netanyahu responded by questioning Bar's actions on the night of the attack, while former PM Naftali Bennett stated Netanyahu is directly responsible for the massacre.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar sued Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for NIS 3 million over defamation.
- Bar alleges Netanyahu falsely blamed him for intelligence failures before the October 7 Hamas attack.
- The lawsuit details Bar's repeated warnings to Netanyahu about Hamas's military buildup.
- Bar and former Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman opposed Qatari aid to Gaza, citing Hamas's use of funds.
- Netanyahu questioned Bar's actions on the night of the attack, asking why he wasn't contacted.
- Former PM Naftali Bennett stated Netanyahu bears direct responsibility for the October 7 massacre.
Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar filed a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Tel Aviv Central Court on Wednesday, seeking three million shekels in damages. The lawsuit follows a post by Netanyahu on X (formerly Twitter) on September 28, accusing Bar of deliberately withholding intelligence before the October 7 Hamas attack and of committing "failures and crimes."
Bar's lawsuit alleges that Netanyahu is promoting a "blood libel" to shift responsibility for the failures leading to the Hamas attack onto him. Bar included details of his warnings to Netanyahu in the months preceding the Gaza war, along with recommendations from himself and his predecessor, Nadav Argaman, regarding assassinating Hamas leaders. The suit states that both Bar and Argaman opposed the continued flow of Qatari financial aid to Gaza, arguing that Hamas used some of it to bolster its military capabilities. They also held Netanyahu responsible for an "containment and calm" policy that allowed Hamas to grow stronger.
Bar claims he warned Netanyahu over twenty times since November 7, 2022, about events in Gaza and recommended targeting Hamas operatives. These warnings, he stated, intensified in August and September 2023. A document Bar submitted to Netanyahu on July 6, 2023, highlighted the threat of Hamas's growing strength. Netanyahu reportedly returned the document, stating it was not the Shin Bet chief's role to formulate national strategy.
Bar further asserted that Netanyahu's "incitement campaign" aims not only to evade responsibility but also to target those who worked to cleanse Netanyahu's office of individuals working for Qatar, which supports Hamas, and to prevent the Shin Bet from becoming a secret police force under the government's control. Bar urged Netanyahu to waive immunity claims and publicly release all relevant documents, arguing that most would not pose a security risk.
Netanyahu responded by stating Bar saw the indicators for the October 7 events but did not call him, questioning Bar's claim of not having his direct number. He suggested Bar could have used his "red phone" or contacted him through Shin Bet security personnel. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett commented that Netanyahu bears direct responsibility for the October 7 massacre and that his continued tenure poses a significant danger to Israel's security.
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