The Prime Minister's Office reacted strongly to the affidavit of Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar, which was submitted to the Supreme Court. According to the PMO, the affidavit is "full of lies and exposes his failures."
The PMO claimed that Bar avoided waking the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense on the morning of October 7th, 2023 even though he had information about a suspected attack for more than three hours. "Had he done so - the massacre could have been avoided," it said.
According to the statement, Bar claimed that he ordered the military secretary to be woken up at 05:15, but in fact, the call by the Shin Bet was only made at 06:13 - just minutes before the attack began.
It was also revealed that two days before the massacre, Bar said: "The renewal of understandings with Hamas shows potential for preserving stability in the Gaza Strip." The PMO called Bar "the father of the failure" and declared that he "must go home."
Addressing Bar's dismissal, the PMO reported that the intention to remove him was announced as early as November 2024 - a claim that contradicts the version of the attorney general, according to which the dismissals resulted from the investigation into the 'Qatar Gate' issue. "The investigation was intended to prevent the dismissals - not the other way around."
The PMO also rejected Bar's claim that the prime minister had sought to postpone his trial: "The prime minister insisted on holding it without a postponement."
In addition, Bar was criticized for his handling of incitement to violence against the political echelon. "He failed to prevent the firing of flares at the prime minister's house in Caesarea, which started a fire and injured a security guard," it said.
It was also noted that Bar did not act against serious incitement, despite repeated requests from the Prime Minister and ministers. "No illegal action was required – only equitable enforcement that has not yet been implemented."