Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu To Fire Head Of Shin Bet Ronen Bar This Week

PM Netanyahu chaired a security consultation meeting at the Ministry of Defense with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet Head Ronen Bar and Mossad Chief David Barnea (Source: Ma'ayan Toaf/GPO)

JAKARTA - After months of tension, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would seek to fire the head of the Shin Bet security service, Ronen Bar.

PM Netanyahu met Bar and told him he would propose his dismissal of the government this week, the Prime Minister's Office said on Sunday.

PM Netanyahu is believed to have majority support in government to get rid of Bar, but the move could be appealed by the Israeli Supreme Court.

In a statement, Bar said he intended to fulfill certain responsibilities before leaving his post.

"The trust task of the Head of the Shin Bet is first and especially for Israeli citizens, this perception is what underlies all my actions and decisions," Bar said, quoted by CNN, March 17.

"The hope of the Prime Minister for personal trust tasks whose goal is to go against the public interest is fundamental wrong hope," he said.

Meanwhile, in a video statement released on Sunday, PM Netanyahu said his "continuous distrust of Bar led to this decision.

"All the time, but especially in an existential war like this, the prime minister must have full trust in the leadership of the Shin Bet," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu added that getting rid of Bar would be necessary to achieve Israel's war goals in Gaza and "preventing the next disaster."

The prime minister has often criticized the agency, blaming its leaders for the security negligence that caused the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 people, according to Israeli claims.

The Shin Bet, which is tasked with monitoring domestic threats against Israel, conducted an internal investigation establishing the agency had "failed in its mission" to prevent attacks.

In its investigation, Shin Bet also criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying, in the years leading up to his October 7 attack, Hamas was enriched by Qatar payments approved by the Israeli government.

The report also said Hamas decided to attack when it occurred partly due to internal divisions in Israeli society sparked by PM Netanyahu's attempt to pass judicial changes, which led to massive protests.

The agency was also reported recently opening an investigation into a number of members of PM Netanyahu's office for inappropriate lobbying on behalf of Qatar, something the prime minister's office denies.

Earlier, PM Netanyahu also removed Bar and Mossad Chief David Barnea from the negotiating team involved in indirect talks with Hamas.

Separately, opposition politicians criticized PM Netanyahu and stated that Bar's dismissal would be a politically motivated move.

"For a year and a half, he saw no reason to fire him, but only when an investigation into Qatari's infiltration into Netanyahu's office and the funds transferred to his closest aides began, he suddenly felt the need to fire him immediately," said opposition leader Yair Lapid.

Meanwhile, National Union Chairman Benny Gantz said it would be "a direct violation of state security and the dissolution of unity in Israeli society for political and personal reasons."

On the other hand, several far-right government members praised PM Netanyahu's intention to fire Bar on Sunday.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said it was a "necessary step" and it was appropriate for the Shin Bet leader to "take true responsibility and resign on his own initiative more than a year ago."

Meanwhile, former Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who clashed with Bar over treatment of Palestinian prisoners and other issues, stressed Netanyahu's decision to show "there is no place in a democratic country for officials who behave politically towards me and against elected officials."

It is known, Ben Gvir himself had previously repeatedly called for the dismissal of Bar.