Grieving Father Claims Ex-Shin Bet Chief Doubted Netanyahu

Yehoshua Shani, the father of fallen soldier Ori Shani, revealed details of a personal meeting with former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, alleging Bar expressed distrust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Shani stated that during their three-hour meeting around Passover, Bar acknowledged his responsibility for the security failures leading to the October 7th Hamas attack. However, Shani expressed deep disappointment with Bar's subsequent actions, fearing an attempt to shift blame to the political echelon.

According to Shani, Bar committed to cooperating with a future investigation committee, but his later public statements, particularly in his confrontation with Netanyahu, contradicted his private admissions. Shani recounted that Bar informed him of a 1:30 AM meeting with his staff due to suspicious signs on the night of the attack. Despite this, Shani's son, Ori, and five soldiers went on a patrol near the Gaza border around 5:00 AM without adequate warning of the impending assault.

Shani criticized the alleged failure to update Prime Minister Netanyahu in real-time about the escalating situation, suggesting Bar acted out of a lack of trust in the political leadership, which he believes compromised security decision-making. Shani emphasized these are his claims, not established findings from an official inquiry.

Following the meeting, Shani announced his intention to lead a public and legal campaign to clarify Bar's responsibility for the failures. He stressed that bereaved families demand full disclosure, an independent investigation into the events, and answers regarding decisions made in the critical hours before the attack.