Full Breakdown
Former Shin Bet Chief Sues Netanyahu Over October 7 Defamation Claims
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Core Event
On October 14, 2026, Ronen Bar, former head of Shin Bet (2021-2025), filed a NIS 3 million (? $970,000) defamation suit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bar says Netanyahu’s September 28 X post falsely accused him of knowingly withholding advance warning of the Hamas assault on October 7, 2023, and of failing to alert the prime minister, the IDF and local security forces. Bar calls the statements “blood libel” intended to shift blame for the October 7 disaster onto him.
Background & Context
The lawsuit comes weeks before Israel’s October 27 national election, which Netanyahu has described as “extremely close.” Since the October 7 attack— which killed at least 1,221 Israeli civilians and took 251 hostages—Netanyahu has repeatedly argued that security chiefs failed to wake him in time, suggesting a prompt call could have averted many deaths. Bar counters that he warned Netanyahu throughout 2023 about Hamas’s growing capabilities, citing alerts on July 23, September 14 and October 1, 2023.
Bar also points to a dispute over foreign-intelligence handling. Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel visited Israel on September 26, 2023, delivering a warning of an imminent Hamas assault. Netanyahu has denied meeting Kamel, while other reports note a brief 59-minute visit and a subsequent phone call to the prime minister.
Official Statements & Responses
Bar’s filing asserts that Netanyahu knowingly made false accusations to divert responsibility and that Shin Bet continuously supplied real-time intelligence to the prime minister’s military secretariat. He also alleges that Netanyahu pursued a “quiet at any cost” policy toward Gaza and ignored recommendations for targeted actions.
Netanyahu’s Likud-issued response rejects Bar’s claims, emphasizing that Bar had the prime minister’s “red line” emergency number and could have called immediately. He argues that the failure to wake the prime minister directly contributed to the loss of lives.
Former military secretary Avi Gil has alleged that a senior official altered the recorded time of a key phone call on the morning of the attack, suggesting possible manipulation of official records.
Criticism & Opposition
Families of October 7 victims, including former hostages Yocheved Lifshitz and Ditza Heiman, have demanded full transcripts, recordings and logs of security discussions from the day of the attack, accusing the government of concealing the truth.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Phone-call timing: Gil claims a senior staff member changed the recorded time from 6:40 a.m. to 6:29 a.m., while Netanyahu maintains the prime minister was not directly contacted.
- Egyptian warning: Netanyahu says he never met Kamel, yet multiple sources confirm Kamel’s 59-minute visit and a phone call to the prime minister days before October 7.
- Record alteration: Gil’s allegation of altered transcripts contrasts with the prime minister’s claim that all official records are accurate.
What’s Next
The lawsuit will proceed in the Central-Lod District Court, with Bar seeking disclosure of documents held by the prime minister’s office. The case is expected to shape public debate ahead of the October 27 election, where calls for a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures remain a central opposition demand.