Ex-Shin Bet Chief Sues Netanyahu for Defamation Over October 7 Attack Blame

Ronen Bar, the former chief of Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet, has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The suit stems from claims that Bar holds responsibility for the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack. This legal action emerges shortly before Israel's closely contested October 27 election, where Netanyahu is vying for his political future, and is expected to intensify the nation's political turmoil.

In a 134-page court document, Ronen Bar, who previously directed Shin Bet, accused Netanyahu of "lying to cover himself." Bar asserts that it was slanderous for the prime minister to attribute "criminal failures" for the attack to him. The court filing, spanning 164 pages, details that Bar contacted the prime minister’s military secretary as soon as indications of a potential attack became apparent. However, Bar stated he did not possess Netanyahu's direct telephone number.

Netanyahu, conversely, has stated that he was not alerted by Bar on the morning of the Hamas-led assault. He maintains that the attack could have been prevented if the Shin Bet's director at the time, or military leaders, had contacted him to wake him up on the day of the early-morning attack. Bar's lawsuit contends that Netanyahu made accusations "that he knew to be false, with the aim of diverting the debate from his own responsibility for the events of October 7." Furthermore, the lawsuit argues that Netanyahu's policies over several years had "increased the dangers posed by terrorist organisations in Gaza."

In response, Netanyahu issued a statement through his Likud party on Wednesday, questioning Bar's claims. "Ronen, are you serious?" Netanyahu asked. "You had my number on the red line and could have called me immediately, as all security chiefs do. How many lives could we have saved if only you had called in time?"

Bar resigned as head of Shin Bet in June 2025 amidst the recriminations following the deadliest attack in Israel's history, while maintaining he had informed Netanyahu of the threat in advance. He is seeking three million shekels (approximately $968,500) in damages from Netanyahu.

The allegations detailed in Bar’s lawsuit follow recent statements from Netanyahu's former military secretary, Avi Gil. Gil informed Israel’s Channel 12 that the prime minister's office had "falsified records related to October 7, 2023," including altering the recorded time of a significant phone call. Gil, who served as Netanyahu’s military secretary from July 2021 to May 2024, recounted that a stenographer in the prime minister’s office was instructed by Netanyahu's chief of staff to change the time of a four-minute call from 6:40 am local time (03:40 GMT) to 6:29 am (03:29 GMT). "She told me, I’m not allowed to change it," Gil stated, accusing the head of Netanyahu’s office of manipulating telephone records, adding, "Those are facts, and there is no dispute about them."

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Netanyahu had received a warning about the attack from Egypt’s intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel. Kamel reportedly contacted the prime minister days before the attack, reinforcing previous warnings issued in September 2023, when he allegedly traveled to Israel to personally alert security officials about Hamas's plans for an attack.

Current polls indicate that Netanyahu faces a close contest to retain power in the October 27 election. He has been criticized by former staff, government officials, and the opposition for failing to prevent the bloodshed. On October 7, 2023, at least 1,221 Israelis were killed after Hamas breached the fence separating Israel and Gaza, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Additionally, 251 Israelis were taken hostage, with 44 of those killed on that day among them. In the three years since, Israel has reportedly killed over 74,300 people in Gaza, as per the Health Ministry in the enclave. More than 1,400 Gazans have been killed in Israeli attacks since a tentative ceasefire, backed by the US, was established last year.