Former Shin Bet chief intends to sue Netanyahu after being blamed for October 7 attack

Ronen Bar, the former head of the Shin Bet, announced his intention to file a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after the latter held him responsible for the failure to foresee the October 7, 2023 attack. Bar accused Netanyahu of waging an incitement campaign against him, publishing partial documents in a manipulative manner, and trying to divert attention from the warnings he received before the attack.

Ronen Bar, the former head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), announced his intention to file a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after the latter held him responsible for the "failure" to foresee the October 7, 2023 attack. Bar's statement came on Monday evening, in which he affirmed that he would demand the disclosure of Netanyahu's meeting schedule with security officials and foreign entities, and the summoning of individuals from the Prime Minister's Office and his aides to testify. Bar accused Netanyahu of waging an "unrestrained incitement campaign" against him, refusing to accept responsibility for three years, and preventing the formation of an official commission of inquiry. Bar noted that he warned Netanyahu during his tenure as Shin Bet chief of an "unprecedented imminent catastrophe," but the prime minister ignored those warnings. Bar considered that it is no longer possible to allow the "torrent of lies, distortion of facts, and manipulation of minutes." Bar's statement, who served as Shin Bet chief between 2021 and 2025, came against the backdrop of Netanyahu's accusation that he ignored warnings about October 7 and failed to inform him. Netanyahu earlier on Monday denied having met before October 7 with Abbas Kamel, then head of the Egyptian General Intelligence.