Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has filed a complaint with Israel Police following former Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman's warning that he would unveil unspecified "secrets" relating to the prime minister in a Channel 12 interview on Thursday evening.
Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy instructed on Friday afternoon to "examine" Argaman's statements ahead of a potential investigation.
In his interview, Argaman said he had yet to reveal certain incriminating information because he wishes "to preserve the significance of the relationship between the head of the Shin Bet and the prime minister," amid reports of a breakdown in communication and trust between Netanyahu and Argaman's successor, Ronen Bar.
"There is great importance to the intimacy between the head of the Shin Bet and the prime minister, and I don’t think it is right to undermine that intimacy. That is why, for now, I am keeping everything that happened behind closed doors between the prime minister and me in this place. It is absolutely clear that I have a great deal of knowledge, I could use it, but I choose not to—for the reasons I mentioned," Argaman said on Thursday.
Netanyahu: Shin Bet plotting campaign of blackmail
Following the interview, Netanyahu made an unprecedented accusation at the Shin Bet, claiming that Bar and his organization are conducting a "campaign of blackmail" against the prime minister.
"Never, in the entire history of Israel and in the entire history of democracies, has the former head of the secret organization carried out live blackmail threats against a sitting prime minister. This crime joins a whole campaign of blackmail with threats through media briefings in recent days, conducted by the current head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar."
Netanayahu alleged that the goal of the threats was to prevent him from making the decisions necessary to "rebuild the Shin Bet after its devastating failure on October 7. Let it be clear," he warned. "Mafia-style criminal threats will not deter me. I will do what is necessary to ensure the security of the citizens of Israel."
אדוני רה״מ. תכנס את הממשלה ותסלק מתפקידו את ראש השב״כ החתרן המסוכן מיד! אסור להמתין אפילו רגע אחד. הוא איים עליך, ושידרג את האיומים לסחיטה באיומים מפיו של מפעיל הרוגלות, הבוס הקודם, נדב ארגמן.האיומים והסחיטה רק ילכו ויגברו.אי פיטורי רונן בר מבזים אותך ומבזים את עם ישראל. pic.twitter.com/fBTv8nhCLi
— טלי גוטליב (@TallyGotliv) March 14, 2025
Later on Friday, Likud MK Tally Gotliv called on the prime minister to "convene the cabinet and remove the subversive head of the Shin Bet from his post immediately," further warning Netanyahu that "the threats and blackmail would only increase" if he fails to do so.