Former Shin Bet chief sues Netanyahu over October 7 claims

The former head of Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, filed a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday over claims regarding responsibility for the October 7, 2023 attack. Al Jazeera and Al-Monitor both reported on the lawsuit filed by Ronen Bar, with Al-Monitor adding that the suit is for nearly one million dollars. [1][10]

In a 134-page court document, Bar accused Netanyahu of lying to cover himself and called it slanderous for the prime minister to accuse him of criminal failures over the attack, Al Jazeera reported. Bar stated that he telephoned the prime minister's military secretary as soon as initial signs of the attack appeared. [1]

The legal action comes shortly before Israel's October 27 election, in which Netanyahu is fighting for political survival, Al Jazeera reported. Israel's longest-serving prime minister has held office since 2022, after previously serving from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Netanyahu has faced growing pressure over warnings received prior to the 2023 attack. [1][12][14][15]

Separately, Netanyahu confirmed publicly that the former Egyptian intelligence chief landed in Israel days before the October 7 attack, according to i24NEWS, Middle East Monitor, Türkiye Today, Haaretz, Ynetnews, and The Times of Israel. Netanyahu stated that he did not meet with the Egyptian spy chief during the visit, as reported by Ynetnews and The Times of Israel. [2][3][4][5][6][7]