Israel: The head of the Shin Bet calls on the government to form an official investigation committee into the October 7 failures

The head of the Israeli General Security Agency (Shin Bet), Ronen Bar, called during a session of the security political mini-ministerial council (the war cabinet) for the formation of an official investigation committee into the events of “Black Saturday,” in reference to Hamas’ operation al Aqsa Flood on October 7.

Israeli Channel 12 said, “The Shin Bet chief’s request came after Knesset representative Tally Gotliv, from the Likud Party, spoke about a conspiracy theory that was behind the events of October 7”.

“I’m asking you to announce a formal commission of inquiry today,” Barr told ministers.

He added, “The public yearns for this, and the Shin Bet yearns for it… This way there will be an end to all lies and conspiracy theories”.

Bar referred to Gotliv’s tweet, and warned that “announcing the identity of fighters is a slippery slope for Mossad, Shin Bet, and AMAN (Military Intelligence Division) fighters,” and added, “I ask you to help us, condemn this, and confront it… These are the fighters you send into battle… If we don’t take care of them… Now, the identity of our fighters will be lost”.

Channel 12 said, “This is an unusual request from the head of the Shin Bet, and indicates the mood of the head of the Shin Bet and his employees, who find themselves in the midst of war vulnerable to attack and slander by all kinds of conspirators”.

The Shin Bet responded to the channel’s report, saying, “We don’t refer to what is said in the cabinet discussions… It will be made clear that in the face of the false allegations that have been heard, recently, against the employees the Shin Bet, that the Shin Bet and its head will continue to resolutely protect the employees of the Shin Bet from those who seek to harm them and the confidentiality of the service’s work in the face of the security threats facing the State of Israel”.

Channel 12 said last Thursday, that the head of the Shin Bet sent a scathing letter to the Speaker of the Knesset, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the government’s legal advisor, and the Prime Minister’s military secretary, in which he attacked Representative Tally Gotliv, who spoke about conspiracy theories involving the security services, including Mossad and Shin Bet and led to the Hamas attack.

Bar said in his letter, according to Channel 12, “Knesset member Gotliv posted a tweet containing false details about events that allegedly occurred before Hamas attack,” adding, “She posted a false allegation regarding actions taken by a Shin Bet employee”.

Bar continued, “The post included mentioning the name of a website where the false allegations were posted, in addition to an image of the press report title, in the report on the website the full details of the Shin Bet employee and his family members… It should be noted that it’s written in the margin of the report that it was published by an official who enjoys parliamentary immunity”.

Barr added, attacking Gotliv, “As you know, Article 19 of the Shin Bet law stipulates, among other things, that the identity of service employees, past or present, is confidential and forbidden from being published”.

He continued, saying, “MK Gotliv’s actions are a clear crime, and on their face, they also constitute a civil violation, but my request focuses on the harm to state security, which was carried out knowingly and intentionally, and which endangered a Shin Bet employee and his family members”.

Gotliv had posted allegations that the Shin Bet and Mossad were involved in preparing the Hamas attack in agreement with Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar.

According to the account of the representative from the Likud party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “Mossad chief David Barnea met with Shikma Ressler, one of the leaders of the protest against the legal revolution (legislation that the government sought to pass and brought thousands of Israelis out to demonstrate), and that the United States torpedoed the talks between the “husband and wife,” days before October 7.