Ex-Shin Bet Official Criticizes Bar's Lawsuit Against Netanyahu
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Former Shin Bet official Yossi Amrosi criticized ex-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar's defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, deeming it unlikely to succeed due to Netanyahu's immunity. Amrosi also argued that Bar missed crucial warning signs before the October 7th attacks and should prepare for an investigation committee instead. He suggested that security leaders' opposition to occupying Gaza influenced the containment policy and that Bar had multiple ways to contact Netanyahu during the crisis.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former Shin Bet official Yossi Amrosi believes Ronen Bar's lawsuit against Netanyahu will not reach court due to immunity.
- Amrosi stated Bar failed to recognize critical warning signs before the October 7th Hamas attacks.
- He advised Bar to prepare for a state investigation committee rather than pursue the lawsuit.
- Amrosi suggested security leaders' opposition to occupying Gaza influenced the policy towards Hamas.
- He claimed Bar had numerous channels to contact Prime Minister Netanyahu during the October 7th crisis.
A former senior Shin Bet official, Yossi Amrosi, has criticized the defamation lawsuit filed by former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Amrosi, a research fellow at the Misgav National Security Institute, believes the lawsuit is unlikely to reach court due to the Prime Minister's immunity. He also suggested that Bar failed to recognize warning signs before the October 7th Hamas attacks, advising him instead to prepare for a potential investigation committee.
Amrosi stated that legal experts he consulted believe Netanyahu's immunity will prevent the case from proceeding. He also pointed out that some of the statements Bar considers defamatory were not made by Netanyahu himself but by individuals in his office, which he argues lessens the possibility of holding the Prime Minister personally responsible.
Regarding responsibility for the policy towards Hamas, Amrosi acknowledged Netanyahu's ministerial responsibility for the long-standing containment policy. However, he asserted that this policy was heavily influenced by the stance of security establishment leaders who opposed occupying the Gaza Strip. Amrosi argued that even when security leaders, including Bar, recommended actions against Hamas, they focused on targeted assassinations rather than a military operation to defeat the organization.
Amrosi also criticized the Shin Bet's actions leading up to October 7th, stating that while Bar invested years in Israel's security, the agency's role is not just to issue warnings but to act. He highlighted significant indicators on the night of October 6-7, such as intelligence on senior figures and families descending into tunnels and the exposure of missile launch pits, which he believes Bar and the Chief of Staff failed to properly interpret, leading to a high price.
Addressing Bar's claim that he couldn't contact Netanyahu on the night of October 7th, Amrosi dismissed it, stating that the Shin Bet head has numerous channels to reach the Prime Minister during emergencies, including military secretariat and security teams. He suggested that if Bar had grasped the severity of the situation, he would have traveled to Jerusalem.
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