Ex-Shin Bet Chief Sues Netanyahu for Defamation Over Oct. 7 Conspiracy Theories

Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar filed a NIS 3 million defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. The suit stems from Netanyahu's accusations that Bar committed "crimes" and echoed conspiracy theories claiming Bar knew about the October 7th attack in advance and withheld information. Bar, who accepts responsibility for the Shin Bet's part in the intelligence failure and notes his resignation, stated he pursued legal action due to the lack of a state inquiry commission and to halt a smear campaign aimed at placing full blame on security officials. In the lawsuit, Bar revealed a series of detailed warnings he provided to Netanyahu in the months preceding the massacre, particularly around the spring holidays and between July and September 2023. He warned of a severe erosion of Israeli deterrence, alerted that Yahya Sinwar had become "messianic," and demanded targeted counter-terrorism operations against Hamas leadership, along with preventative measures. Netanyahu responded to the lawsuit in an interview with Ayala Hasson on Kan 11, stating, "He can sue for 30 million shekels too." Regarding Bar's claims, the Prime Minister dismissed them as "meaningless," questioning Bar's excuse about not having his phone number, "Who has the phone in the Red [Zone]? The head of the Shin Bet. Do you understand what the excuse is here?" Reactions followed, with Itamar Fleishman, host of "The Patriots" on Channel 14, calling Bar "the most failed head of the Shin Bet in the history of the Israeli Shin Bet" and questioning why Bar did nothing if he knew about the impending attack. Fleishman urged Bar to speak out, stating, "Don't be a coward!" Fleishman's comments were made on Channel 14's morning program.