Ex-Israeli Security Chief Sues Netanyahu for October 7 Defamation
Ronen Bar is disputing Netanyahu’s claim that a call to wake the Israeli prime minister could have prevented the October 7 attack.
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Israel’s former domestic intelligence chief Ronen Bar sued Benjamin Netanyahu for defamation on Wednesday, challenging the prime minister’s assertion that he could have prevented the October 7 attack if security officials had called to wake him.
Bar, who headed Shin Bet when Hamas attacked in 2023, is seeking 3 million shekels, approximately $968,500, in damages.
His lawsuit brings the dispute over responsibility into court less than two weeks before Israel’s October 27 election.
Dispute Over the Warning
Netanyahu has maintained that a call from Bar or senior military officials could have allowed him to stop the early-morning assault.
Bar’s account places the warning elsewhere in the chain of command.
He says he contacted Netanyahu’s military secretary when indications of a possible attack emerged, but did not have the prime minister’s direct telephone number.
Netanyahu rejected that explanation in a statement released by Likud on Wednesday.
“You had my number on the red line and could have called me immediately, as all security chiefs do.”
Allegations of Deflected Responsibility
The 134-page filing accuses Netanyahu of “lying to cover himself” and argues that his allegations of criminal failures by Bar were defamatory.
According to the lawsuit, Netanyahu knowingly made false accusations to shift scrutiny away from his own role.
The filing also argues that his policies over several years strengthened the dangers posed by armed groups in Gaza.
Bar says he had warned Netanyahu before October 7 about potential threats involving Hamas.
In his response, the prime minister continued to place responsibility on Bar: “How many lives could we have saved if only you had called in time?”
Agency Failures and Election Pressure
Bar stepped down in June 2025, acknowledging that Shin Bet’s warning systems had failed. He said his resignation reflected his responsibility as the agency’s leader.
His lawsuit distinguishes between accepting responsibility for those institutional failures and accepting Netanyahu’s account of the warnings before the attack.
The case comes as polling indicates a tight contest for Netanyahu to remain in office.
Opposition criticism has centered on his failure to prevent October 7, putting his security record at the heart of the election campaign.
Ahmet Koçak
Ahmet Koçak is a news editor at Clash Report based in Istanbul. He previously served as Deputy Managing Editor at Türkiye Today, helping launch the digital news platform in 2023, and spent three years as Senior Editor at Daily Sabah. His work focuses on breaking news, geopolitics, international affairs, and digital journalism.
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