Netanyahu's Affidavit VS. Bar: Reactions in the Political System

The political system responded today (Sunday) to the affidavit submitted earlier by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the court, in which he responded to accusations against him - detailing the dates of their private meetings, including who requested them.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch wrote: "Prime Minister Netanyahu has laid out in his affidavit to the Supreme Court an extremely serious indictment against the dismissed Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar. Bar's lies in his affidavit, his attempts to mislead and deceive the Supreme Court judges and the Israeli public, will not be forgiven."

He added: "Ronen Bar's conduct is a clear danger to Israel's security." He continued: "Today in government, we approved once again the dismissal of the former Shin Bet chief. After reading the Prime Minister's affidavit, it's absurd that the dismissed Shin Bet chief continues to cling to the Supreme Court."

He concluded: "The Supreme Court must immediately order Bar's dismissal, there is no other way."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir responded to the Prime Minister's affidavit: "Ronen Bar is a liar. I said a year and a half ago that he should be thrown out, it's a shame they didn't listen to me. Better late than never. Ronen Bar go home. Now!"

Minister Amichai Chikli responded: "The operating principles outlined by Ronen Bar in the security discussion he convened an hour and fifteen minutes before the massacre began in the Gaza border communities, demonstrate that Bar blatantly lied to the Supreme Court judges and Israeli citizens when he claimed that he alerted the system on the night of October 6-7."

According to Chikli: "His own words prove the opposite: not only did he not bother to alert either the Prime Minister or the Defense Minister, he even acted to ensure that no significant actions would be taken so as 'not to create a miscalculation' by Hamas."

Chikli added that this was "criminal negligence, followed by clinging to office, presenting fabricated investigations, and submitting false affidavits. There are no words."

Chairman of the State Camp Benny Gantz responded: "On October 7th, the biggest failure in the history of the state occurred. Everyone who was on duty that day, both the Prime Minister and the Shin Bet chief, bear responsibility. Instead of establishing a state commission of inquiry to investigate and draw lessons, doing everything to return the hostages, and returning to the people to regain their trust - the Prime Minister is engaged in a battle of versions with the Shin Bet chief, which harms state security and unity."

Deputy Minister Almog Cohen responded to the affidavit: "The Shin Bet chief could have prevented the October 7th massacre. Instead of performing his duty and protecting Israeli citizens – he failed with criminal negligence. Throughout history, commanders who failed in times of crisis knew to pay the price. In Samurai culture – such failure ended in seppuku."

According to him: "Here – Ronen Bar becomes a hero of a lost camp, for whom hatred of the Prime Minister has become a compass. Hundreds of lives could have been saved if arrogance hadn't triumphed over responsibility."

"And if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes a life - he is taken in his iniquity, and his blood I will require at the watchman's hand."

Chairman of the Democrats Yair Golan wrote on X: "This affidavit, designed to mislead the public and the court, actually reveals the truth: Netanyahu is a dangerous liar and manipulator, who doesn't hesitate to sacrifice everything to save himself. This affidavit exposes how much the State of Israel is in danger from this man."

According to him: "This is not a legal document - it's a page of messaging and propaganda full of slander against the Shin Bet chief and an attack on sane, democratic Israel - and should be treated as such. While making manipulative use of classified documents. The document prepares the ground for non-compliance with the Supreme Court, for crushing the Shin Bet and all gatekeepers. Netanyahu has lost all restraint and legitimacy to lead. He is not fit."

As a reminder, in the affidavit submitted earlier by Netanyahu, the Prime Minister responded to Bar's claim that he had asked him to provide an opinion in an attempt to prevent him from testifying continuously in the trial. Netanyahu denied the claim and argued that Bar was never asked to give such an opinion, but that this was his own conclusion from the events. Netanyahu revealed quotes from his conversations with Bar in which he actually said that nothing should be done to delay the trial.

Netanyahu also claimed that he did not ask Bar, contrary to the latter's claim, to use special measures against political opponents whose protests did not involve threats of violence. Netanyahu called the claim unfounded and said that no evidence was attached to it.

Netanyahu added that Bar claimed that in their meeting on March 7, 2023, he asked those present to leave the room and stay with him in private without a recording device so that the things would not be documented. According to Netanyahu, "from the relevant stenogram it appears that in that meeting, it was actually Bar who asked to stay with me in private at the end of the meeting."