National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir responded Sunday evening to remarks made by former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, as revealed in Channel 12 News military analyst Nir Dvori’s new book.
Bar asserted that Ben Gvir’s visits to the Temple Mount, along with those of Jewish worshippers, heightened tensions that played a role in Hamas’s decision to launch its October 7 assault on Israel.
According to the book, Bar claimed that Hamas perceived itself as the defender of Islamic holy sites, and that the presence of Jewish worshippers on the Mount served as a pretext for escalation.
He stated, “The actions of Ben Gvir and the Jewish worshippers on the Temple Mount created tension that Hamas decided to exploit, partly due to its perception of itself as the ‘guardian of the holy places.’ Ben Gvir’s role on October 7 and his part in leading us to that day is dramatically more significant than all the failures of the Gaza Division.”
Ben Gvir issued a sharp response on his X account: “After more than two years, the failed former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has found the culprits for the 7/10 debacle - the one that bears his own name. Unbelievable.”