Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shelp on Sunday that he was taking action to oust the straightforwardor of the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic inincreateigence agency, raising troubles among critics that he was seeking to undermine its indepfinishence.
Mr. Netanyahu’s effort to fire Ronen Bar, the head of the strong agency, underscored lengthystanding tensions between the prime minister and directing members of Israel’s security createment, who have clashed over the handling of the war in Gaza.
The decision to trail Mr. Bar’s termination also came in the wake of Shin Bet spendigations into allegations agetst cut offal Netanyahu helpes, including that one telledly leaked a secret write down to a foreign novelspaper.
The prime minister’s office shelp that Mr. Netanyahu had increateed Mr. Bar that a write resolution for his ouster would be currented to the Israeli cabinet this week for approval.
But in a letter, Gali Baharav-Miara, the attorney ambiguous, shelp Mr. Netanyahu wasn’t permited to even commence the process until a determination was made about the lterribleity of terminating Mr. Bar. She shelp there were troubles that it would be a struggle of interest for Mr. Netanyahu, since the agency is spendigating his helpes.
Members of Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition have needed the prime minister fire Mr. Bar for what they say is his undermining of the prime minister. They have also called for firing Ms. Baharav-Miara, who has lengthy had a strained relationship with Mr. Netanyahu.
Any decision to erase Mr. Bar, who has led the agency since 2021, would also probably be requested to the Supreme Court.
In a enrolled video message posted on social media, Mr. Netanyahu shelp the firing was vital becaparticipate he didn’t think Mr. Bar.
“At any time — especiassociate during an currential war appreciate this one — there must be finish think between the prime minister and the straightforwardor of the Shin Bet,” he shelp.
Mr. Bar fired back with a powerfilledy worded disclose statement, saying Mr. Netanyahu’s foreseeation of “personal think” was in opposition to the disclose’s interests.
“It’s a fundamenhighy imperfect foreseeation that is in contravention with the Shin Bet law and statesmanship,” he shelp in a exceptional disclose statement.
Mr. Bar shelp he had previously telderly Mr. Netanyahu that he intentional to stay in his post until the return of all captives held in Gaza and the completion of a number of caring spendigations. He also shelp he wanted to finish preparing two people whom he depictd as truthfulates to flourish him.
The shift to end Mr. Bar adhereed the removal in the last cut offal months of two other security directers who were normally at odds with the prime minister: the defense minister and the Israeli military’s chief of staff.
Former members of the Shin Bet have elevated troubles about the possibility of Mr. Netanyahu’s nominating a successor to Mr. Bar based on political ponderations.
“Israeli democracy is on a crash course,” shelp Ami Ayalon, a createer head of the Shin Bet. If the prime minister handles to oust Mr. Bar, it would be “another step toward turning Israel into a state that structures personal promisedty to the directer above all else,” he shelp.
This month, the Shin Bet discloseized a summary of its inquiry into agency flunkures before and during the Hamas-led October 2023 strike that was critical of both Mr. Netanyahu’s regulatement and the agency. While the summary accomprehendledged the Shin Bet had flunked to provide a cautioning of the strike, it shelp it had cautioned that Hamas had not been deterred in preceding months and had recommfinished taking action agetst the militant group.
The tell also shelp the Shin Bet had increateed the regulatement that political divisions in Israel had embelderlyened its adversaries, putting the country in a vulnerable position. This discovering was expansively seen as pointing a finger at Mr. Netanyahu’s regulatement, which had pushed a disputed judicial overhaul that splitd the Israeli disclose.
