AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Ben Caspit, a prominent journalist for Maariv, reported in an article that Ruth Bar, the strategic consultant whose illicit affair with Netanyahu was exposed during the "tape scandal" of the late 1990s, spoke in her first press interview about working with the Prime Minister at the beginning of her career and the moment when, in her view, the "propaganda machine" was born.
Ruth Bar is the most famous unknown woman. On January 14, 1993, Benjamin Netanyahu, drenched in sweat and dejected, suddenly entered the studio of Channel One to confess live on air that he had engaged in an extramarital affair with his strategic consultant for the Likud leadership primary election campaign. That woman was Ruth Bar.
At that time, following Yitzhak Shamir's defeat by Yitzhak Rabin in the 1992 elections, the primaries to choose his successor as head of the Likud party had reached their peak.
David Levy, Netanyahu's rival, was an obstacle to his election as head of Likud. Netanyahu, who belonged to the Revisionist aristocracy, was considered an outsider to the Likud party.
According to Maariv's account, amidst this turmoil and at the height of the electoral race, a person called Netanyahu's home and informed his young wife, Sara, that her husband was having an affair with his strategic consultant at the central headquarters, and that if he did not resign, a tape containing evidence of this illicit affair would be released.
Netanyahu, however, decided to face the scandal and confess to this abhorrent act live on air. He came to the studio and told the audience that he had been unfaithful to his wife.
At that time, there was only one television channel in Israel, which was watched by all viewers, so a storm immediately erupted.
All of Israel was talking about the incident, following which Sara, Netanyahu's wife, expelled him from their home forever. But, as usual, he gradually returned. The tape was never released.
Ruth Bar's name was made public at that time, but there were no social networks or digital platforms in those days, so no trend was created.
No interview was conducted with her, and she never appeared before cameras, microphones, or even reporters' notebooks, neither in informal nor in formal meetings, and she was never seen anywhere else. Very few political journalists know or remember her.
But in this interview, she pointed to notable issues and expressed fear of her reappearance in the media and Netanyahu's reaction to it.
When asked whether she agreed that the upcoming elections are the most fateful in Israel's history, she said as a strategic consultant, "Yes, definitely."
Are you worried?
"Yes, I am very worried. A conversation took place between Netanyahu and me that shocked me deeply. He said there is no justice, and I disagreed with that. As our acquaintance deepened, I realized that he doesn't even seek to achieve justice."
"The concept of justice must be a foundation for the survival of relationships. When an individual like Netanyahu, with a sense of extreme superiority, presides over a structure and does not believe in justice, this raises real and serious concerns."
"This is an extremely fundamental issue. Just look at the laws his government passes to maintain power, and you will understand that if he is re-elected, democracy in Israel will face an existential danger."
That serious?
"Yes. With an individual whose relationships are so frail for survival, it is unlikely he will care about Israel's citizens more than himself."
"This means that even attention to the citizens' security is not in safe hands. Working with Netanyahu is always a sacrifice. Netanyahu focuses only on himself, his desires to maintain power, and his firm belief that power belongs to him."
Were you surprised that he remained in his position until the end of his term after October 7?
"No. I dedicated a whole chapter of my book to the actions he took to achieve this goal. When this is your supreme goal, almost your only goal, and you subordinate your entire team to it, you will have the opportunity to achieve it. He focused only on this matter. His seats decreased to 17, and then he managed to rise again."
"He focused on dismantling all other factors—blaming everyone, preventing the formation of a truth-seeking committee that could have been an influential external factor, and clinging to his supportive community. He realized that to survive, he had to divide the people into two polarized fronts, and he did so. He bet on his popular base—and it was a correct bet; some of them are still with him."
"If this base had scattered elsewhere, he would have lost. He does not hesitate to tear people apart for his survival and to push us to the edge of civil war. And that is frightening."
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