Ben-Gvir accuses Shin Bet chief of attempted coup, demands urgent probe

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir yesterday accused Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet security service, of attempting a coup by ordering surveillance on him and searching for evidence to incriminate him, Ma’an news agency reported.

Ben-Gvir described the actions as unlawful and Bar as “a threat to democracy in Israel,” adding that the Shin Bet chief belongs in prison, not as the chief of a security agency.

The far-right Israeli minister called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to urgently establish a committee to investigate what he termed an “attempted coup” led by Bar, demanding the full disclosure of all details surrounding the case.

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This comes amidst large protests in Israel following Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss Bar as head of the Shin Bet, a move which has been described by some as “a coup against democracy,” particularly by opposition figures in the country.

On Friday, the Israeli Supreme Court froze the government’s decision to dismiss Bar, pending a review of petitions submitted objecting to his dismissal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government have, however, argued in legal submissions to the High Court of Justice that the court does not have scope for judicial intervention over their recent decision to fire the intelligence chief since this is a matter of state security, a policy forum over which the court has traditionally refused to intervene.

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