Netanyahu seeking to dismiss head of Shin Bet over lack of ‘trust’

In a statement from Netanyahu’s office on Sunday, the prime minister said he has had an “ongoing distrust” for Ronen Bar and that trust in the head of the domestic security service is crucial at a time of war.

According to Israeli media, the vote to dismiss the Shin Bet chief is expected to take place in a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

But in a statement, Bar stated while he took “responsibility for the agency’s part” in failing to prevent the October 7 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war in the Gaza Strip, it was “clear that the intent behind my dismissal is not related” to it.

“The prime minister’s expectation of a personal loyalty that contradicts the public interest is an entirely improper expectation,” Bar added.

Israeli Democrat Party chief Yair Golan also slammed the move to dismiss Bar and wrote on X that “Netanyahu declared war on the State of Israel.”

“The dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet is a desperate attempt by a criminal defendant to get rid of someone who is loyal to Israel and who is investigating Netanyahu and his close circle for serious and dark offences and is not willing to whitewash them,” Golan said.

“The dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet will not pass as if nothing happened. There will be tremendous resistance, we will fight with force and will not allow Netanyahu to turn the State of Israel into a dictatorship of a corrupt man,” he added.

The decision to dismiss Bar comes after an angry dispute between the two, which focused on who bears responsibility for October 7.

The Shin Bet, which is responsible for monitoring Palestinian armed groups, recently issued a report accepting responsibility for its failures in the attack, which is seen in Israel as the worst security failure that led to its single deadliest day, with 1,200 people killed and 251 taken captive, according to an Israeli tally.

However, the organisation also criticised Netanyahu for failed government policies that helped create the moment that led to the attack.

Still, the prime minister has also resisted calls for an official state commission inquiry into the events of October 7.

Moreover, the decision to dismiss Bar follows several senior Israeli officials who were in charge during the Hamas attack being forced to step down, including former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi.

The tensions boiled over this weekend when Bar’s predecessor, Nadav Argaman, said he would release sensitive information about Netanyahu if it is found that the prime minister had broken the law.

Netanyahu accused Argaman of blackmail and filed a police complaint.