Ronen Bar, the former head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seeking 3 million shekels in damages. The suit was submitted Wednesday at the Central District Court in Lod, less than two weeks ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections. Bar alleges that Netanyahu knowingly published false accusations about his conduct prior to the October 7 attack in an effort to shift responsibility.
The legal action centers on a social media post Netanyahu made on September 28 through his personal X/Twitter account, in which he accused Bar of “failures and crimes” related to the security service’s handling of intelligence warnings before the assault. Netanyahu claimed that Bar recognized indications of the attack but chose not to call or personally alert him.
Bar disputes these allegations, stating that the Shin Bet shared intelligence with Netanyahu’s military secretariat, which was the official channel responsible for briefing the prime minister and determining if he should be woken during critical security events. Bar also noted that Netanyahu never provided him with his personal phone number. Furthermore, Bar maintains he instructed his staff to update the military secretary before the attack commenced.
In response to the lawsuit, Netanyahu asserted on Telegram that Bar had access to other means of reaching him, writing, “Ronen, are you serious? You had my secure phone number and could have called me immediately as all the heads of the security establishment do.” Netanyahu added that his Shin Bet security detail could have contacted him within minutes, emphasizing the potential lives that might have been saved if Bar had alerted him in time.
Bar has accepted responsibility for the intelligence failure leading up to the October 7 attack but firmly rejects any implication that he deliberately withheld information. “As the head of the service, I bear responsibility for the Shin Bet’s failure to provide the intelligence required regarding the October 7 attack and its timing,” he said. “Accordingly, I resigned from my position, bowing my head before the bereaved families.”
The dispute follows a series of events regarding Bar’s tenure at Shin Bet. In March 2025, the government voted to dismiss him, citing a breakdown in professional trust. However, the High Court of Justice temporarily froze the dismissal, after which Bar announced his resignation, effective June 15, leading the government to rescind the dismissal. In May, the court ruled by a majority that the dismissal was unlawful, concluding that Netanyahu had been conflicted due to ongoing investigations involving his associates. The court also cited procedural flaws, including the inadequate opportunity given to Bar to respond to the dismissal.
Bar’s lawsuit includes demands for financial compensation, a court-mandated correction or denial of Netanyahu’s statements, legal fees, and the disclosure of relevant documents. The case adds further tension to an already fraught political landscape as Israel approaches its national elections.