Netanyahu: "Shin Bet chief Is blackmailing me under threat"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar on Thursday night of conducting "an entire campaign of blackmail and threats" against him but did not elaborate on specific actions. "The sole purpose is to try to prevent me from making the necessary decisions to rehabilitate the Shin Bet after its severe failure on October 7," Netanyahu stated. The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) responded, calling it "a serious accusation against the head of a state organization" and stating that Netanyahu’s claim is "completely baseless."

Netanyahu’s statement came after former Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman said in an interview with Channel 12 News that if Netanyahu acts against the law, he will "have no choice but to reveal everything he knows" about him. The Prime Minister responded by saying, "Tonight, another dangerous red line has been crossed," and that "never before has a former head of the secret organization committed live extortion against a sitting prime minister." He added, "These mafia-style criminal threats will not deter me."

Argaman in the Interview stated that for now, he is keeping everything he knows about the Prime Minister to himself. "Of course, I have a lot of knowledge," he added. "If I come to the conclusion that the Prime Minister has decided to act illegally, I will have no choice but to reveal everything I know." According to him, there is no doubt that Shin Bet chiefs "know a lot," and if "we believe there are things we know that endanger the security of Israel, we will use that information in accordance with the law."

Shin Bet Investigating Ties Between Netanyahu’s Office and Qatar

Last month, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara announced that the Shin Bet and the police would investigate possible ties between the Prime Minister’s Office and entities linked to Qatar. This investigation was launched after Haaretz reported in November that Netanyahu’s advisers, Yonatan Urich and Israel Einhorn, orchestrated a campaign to improve Qatar’s global image ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Shin Bet’s investigation was also initiated following a Channel 12 report, which alleged that Netanyahu’s spokesman Eli Feldstein, who was previously accused of leaking classified information, had provided public relations services to a foreign company working for the Qatari government regarding the hostage crisis—while still employed in Netanyahu’s office. The report stated that Feldstein helped craft a positive narrative about Qatar's involvement in the hostage negotiations, and the connection was facilitated through an international company aiming to strengthen ties between the hostage families and Qatari officials.

Shin Bet vs. Netanyahu’s Office After October 7 Failures

Following the Shin Bet’s internal investigation into intelligence failures ahead of the October 7 Hamas attack, Netanyahu’s inner circle sharply criticized Ronen Bar, claiming that in regular intelligence assessments, including just days before the massacre, the Shin Bet’s main theory was that Hamas was interested in maintaining calm and would not initiate a military escalation.

Sources close to Netanyahu also alleged that in early October 2023, Ronen Bar recommended offering Hamas civil benefits in exchange for quiet and even suggested avoiding targeted assassinations in Gaza and Lebanon to prevent another round of conflict.

However, the Shin Bet’s official investigation report states that the agency had recommended proactive action against Hamas and warned against being dragged into cycles of violence. Nevertheless, the report acknowledges that the Shin Bet failed for years to detect Hamas’ invasion plan, despite possessing a document detailing it—referred to as "Jericho Wall." This long-term failure hindered intelligence gathering and decision-making on the night before the attack.