Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday hit back at former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who filed a defamation lawsuit against the leader. The suit was filed over claims that Bar was aware of the threat of a Hamas attack hours before October 7, 2023, but chose not to inform him.
In a post on X, Netanyahu refuted Bar’s claim that he did not have the prime minister’s number. The former intelligence chief also details a long list of warnings he says he issued to Netanyahu in the months leading up to the October 7 attack, according to the Times of Israel. Bar also alleged that on October 1, he warned of a peak in the intentions of terrorist groups to launch attacks, cautioning that Israel could be drawn into a round of fighting against its will before the holiday period ended.
He had a conversation with Netanyahu on a secure line on July 23, 2023, in which he said “I am passing you a strategic warning for war,” and that Israel’s enemies viewed the internal political divisions in Israel as an opportunity, adding that the only way to prevent it was a preemptive strike, according to Bar. At a working meeting on August 21, Bar said he highlighted a “dramatic escalation” in attacks being directed from the Gaza Strip, stressing that “without offensive activity in Gaza, it would not be possible to change the reality. He further claimed that an “unusual message” from the enemy was received on September 14, 2023, and that he informed Netanyahu about it, though he did not disclose its contents, according to the Times of Israel . During discussions on September 17, Bar said he warned of an unavoidable “vector of conflict” and stressed the urgent need to strengthen deterrence. He said he recommended targeted assassinations of key terror leaders, but the proposed operations were ultimately not carried out.
