'Israel's' former security chief files lawsuit against Netanyahu over Oct. 7 blame

• Bar claims Netanyahu knowingly published misleading statements on social media blaming the security agency for failing to alert him
• Netanyahu dismissed the suit, arguing that Bar possessed secure communication channels and failed to contact him directly before the attack began

‘Israeli’ Former security chief Ronen Bar filed a $800,000 defamation lawsuit against 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, accusing Netanyahu of making false claims to shift personal responsibility for October 7.

Netanyahu also claimed that Ronen Bar had his phone number but didn't call him the day of October 7.

רונן בר, שראה את הסימנים המעידים בליל ה-7 באוקטובר ולא התקשר אליי, אומר היום שלא היה לו את מספר הטלפון שלי. רונן, אתה רציני? הרי היה לך את מספר הטלפון האדום שלי, ויכולת מייד יכול להתקשר אליי כפי שעושים כל ראשי מערכת הביטחון. מאבטחי השב״כ, פקודיך, שנמצאים איתי 24/7, היו יכולים להשיג אותי תוך דקות. כמה חיים היינו יכולים להציל אם רק היית מתקשר בזמן.

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 14, 2026

The lawsuit, submitted to the Central District Court in Lod, centers on a September 28 post published on Netanyahu’s X account accusing Bar of "failures and crimes" and alleging that the security chief intentionally withheld critical warnings ahead of the assault.

“Ronen Bar decided not to call and update the Prime Minister, not to alert the readiness squads and IDF forces in the field, not to evacuate the Nova party—and only to dispatch a small Tequila team (which proves he knew of a real threat),” the statement said.

In the filing, Bar acknowledges the Shin Bet's failure to anticipate the timing and scale of the attack, a failure for which he subsequently resigned, but strongly rejects claims that he concealed information or acted improperly.

The suit maintains that intelligence updates were routinely sent to the Prime Minister’s Military Secretariat, the official protocol channel for briefing the prime minister.

"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," Bar stated. "Accordingly, I resigned from my position, bowing my head before the bereaved families."

Netanyahu rejected the allegations on Wednesday, responding on Telegram that Bar had direct access to him and should have initiated immediate contact as situation reports developed overnight on October 6–7.

The court filing details that Bar repeatedly warned Netanyahu in the months prior to October 7 regarding heightened risks of multi-front escalation, including a July 2023 briefing where Bar claims he gave an explicit "strategic warning of war." 

The lawsuit also demands the full disclosure of internal documentation and security protocols related to the events leading up to the attack.