Businessman Eyal Waldman, whose daughter Danielle Waldman and her partner Noam Shay were murdered in Hamas's October 7 attack, sharply criticized former Shin Bet (ISA) chief Ronen Bar, holding him personally responsible for the failures that led to the massacre.
In an interview with Channel 13 News, Waldman said he believes Bar bears heavy responsibility for the events.
"He needs to be put in prison," Waldman said, adding that after his meeting with Bar, the two parted without shaking hands.
According to Waldman, Bar attempted to explain during their meeting that the Shin Bet had issued warnings before the attack, but he rejected that claim.
"He tried to convince me that he gave warnings, but that's not true. He's trying to convince himself. This was criminal negligence," Waldman said.
He also said he told Bar that he should have resigned shortly after the October 7 massacre, and that in his view, stepping down a few months after the massacre would have benefited the country more than Bar's remaining in office.
Waldman also addressed claims that Bar had passed intelligence warnings to the military before the attack. He argued that the threat was not presented in a way that reflected its true severity and therefore failed to prompt the necessary operational preparations.
Concluding his remarks, Waldman said that although Bar offered numerous explanations and excuses during their conversation, he remains convinced that the former Shin Bet chief bears direct responsibility for the failures that led to the disaster.
"He had a lot of excuses, and I think he is definitely guilty," Waldman said.