Former Shin Bet chief Bar prepares defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Netanyahu — Jerusalem Post
In Israel, former Shin Bet security service chief Ronen Bar announced his intention to file a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is also demanding the publication of testimonies and documents concerning information conveyed to the head of government before the October 7, 2023 attack, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Demand to release documents
Bar called for the disclosure of Netanyahu’s schedule of meetings with representatives of the defense establishment and foreign officials. He said he intends to summon Prime Minister’s Office employees and his aides to testify, as he believes they helped and continue to help Netanyahu in a manipulative campaign.
A statement on Bar’s behalf claims that the prime minister launched an unrestrained incitement campaign against him which, according to the former Shin Bet chief, has no basis in reality. Bar also stated that he had unprecedentedly warned Netanyahu of an imminent catastrophe, but that Netanyahu, according to Bar, ignored the warnings and recommendations to restore deterrence and strengthen the border.
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The former Shin Bet chief accused Netanyahu of publishing excerpts of documents in a manipulative manner and without proper context. He instructed lawyers to file a lawsuit and summon for testimony people who, in his view, distorted or falsified documents and spread false and defamatory information about him.
Netanyahu’s response
Earlier, Netanyahu denied a report by The Wall Street Journal, which, citing senior government officials from an Arab country, wrote that former Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel allegedly called him in early October 2023. According to the newspaper, Kamel relayed a third warning about signs of preparations for an attack from the Gaza Strip.
A statement published on Netanyahu’s X account emphasized that no Israeli intelligence officer had conveyed an Egyptian warning to the prime minister. Netanyahu said that during the months before October 7, he neither met nor spoke with Kamel. He also accused Bar of knowing about the real danger but failing to inform him, warn civilian security squads and military personnel on the ground, or evacuate the Nova festival. The Prime Minister’s Office said that its lawyers had also been instructed to file a defamation lawsuit in connection with this matter.
