Israel’s cabinet agrees to Netanyahu’s dismissal of Shin Bet chief

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar will end his term on April 10 or as soon as his permanent replacement is appointed, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement earlier on Friday.

Bar, who has led the internal security service since 2021, declined to attend the cabinet meeting about his position.

In a letter circulated by Shin Bet, Bar accused the government of being motivated by “improper considerations” and “personal and institutional conflicts of interest of the highest order”.

The move comes after Netanyahu said on Sunday that he would bring a vote on Bar’s dismissal to cabinet due to his “ongoing distrust” of the security official.

Netanyahu and Bar have been at loggerheads for months amid tensions over a bribery investigation focused on the prime minister’s office and recriminations over the failure to prevent Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks.

Bar stated in his letter that his ouster was motivated by a desire to halt the “pursuit of truth” about the events leading up to October 7.

Shin Bet earlier this month released a report that acknowledged it should have thwarted Hamas, while criticising Netanyahu for helping to create the conditions for the attacks.

Netanyahu’s proposal to dismiss the security chief prompted condemnation from opposition parties and renewed protests by Israelis opposed to his right-wing government.

On Thursday, police fired water cannon and made at least 12 arrests following clashes with demonstrators in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.