Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the head of Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, of conducting a "whole campaign of blackmail and threats" against him, following comments made by former Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman. However, Netanyahu did not elaborate on the actions behind his accusations.
The Prime Minister stated that the accusations against Bar were an attempt to "prevent me from making the decisions necessary to restore Shin Bet after its devastating failure on October 7." This statement comes in the wake of a public dispute over the agency’s role in the lead-up to the Hamas attack.
In response, Shin Bet dismissed Netanyahu’s claims as "serious accusations against the head of a state organization," adding that they were "devoid of any foundation." The agency's statement sought to defend its leadership and integrity amid growing political tensions.
Former Shin Bet Head: I'll Expose Netanyahu’s Actions
The controversy deepened after former Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman warned that if Netanyahu violates the law, he would "tell everything he knows about him." Argaman, speaking in an interview with Channel 12, implied that he possessed significant knowledge about Netanyahu's actions. He emphasized, however, that for now, he was withholding information.
"If I conclude that the prime minister decided to act against the law, I will have no choice but to reveal everything I know," Argaman said. He added that the Shin Bet leadership holds critical information and would use it by the law if national security were at risk.
Attorney General Investigates Netanyahu’s Qatar Ties
The ongoing investigation into Netanyahu’s connections to Qatar intensified last month when Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara announced that Shin Bet and the police would look into the matter. This probe follows reports by Haaretz, which uncovered that Netanyahu’s advisers, Yonatan Urich and Israel Einhorn, had spearheaded a campaign to whitewash Qatar's global image ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Shin Bet has also launched its investigation into allegations involving Netanyahu's spokesman Eli Feldstein. Feldstein, accused of leaking classified information, allegedly provided public relations services to a foreign company that worked on behalf of the Qatari government regarding hostage negotiations. Feldstein’s services were reportedly focused on shaping a favorable narrative for Qatar.
Tensions over Shin Bet’s performance surrounding the October 7 Hamas attack continue to mount. Sources close to Netanyahu have alleged that in the days leading up to the massacre, the central thesis in Shin Bet assessments was that Hamas sought to maintain silence, not to launch an attack. Netanyahu’s team further claimed that in early October, Bar recommended offering civilian benefits to Hamas to avoid escalation and prevent further rounds of fighting in Gaza and Lebanon.
In contrast, Shin Bet’s internal investigation into the attack revealed that the agency had failed to detect Hamas’ planned assault despite possessing a document detailing the strategy. This failure, according to the investigation, hindered critical intelligence gathering and impacted decision-making in the days before the attack.
The political fallout from these revelations continues to shape Israel’s ongoing national security discourse as key figures within the government and Shin Bet clash over the agency’s performance and its future direction.
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