Netanyahu hits back against ex-Shin Bet chief's lawsuit: 'You had my red phone number'
Netanyahu accuses Ronen Bar of failing to warn him on October 7, arguing he could have used a secure hotline; the former Shin Bet chief seeks 3 million shekels in damages, alleging Netanyahu ignored repeated warnings and proposals to target Hamas leaders
The former head of Israel's Shin Bet security agency, Ronen Bar, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations made during the aftermath of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The lawsuit, filed just weeks before the upcoming election, contends that Netanyahu falsely accused Bar of criminal failures in preventing the attack, which was Israel's deadliest day in history, resulting in 1,221 deaths.
Bar alleges that Netanyahu's actions aimed to divert attention from his own responsibility for the events of October 7, rather than focusing on his policies that allegedly increased the threat posed by terrorist organizations in Gaza. Bar further claims that he warned Netanyahu of potential threats from Hamas prior to the attack, despite not having Netanyahu's direct number. Bar is seeking damages of three million shekels (approximately US$968,500) from Netanyahu.
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