Israel’s Supreme Court yesterday rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to unfreeze his government’s decision to dismiss Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar.
According to the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Israel’s highest judicial authority confirmed in its response to Netanyahu’s request that the Shin Bet director cannot be dismissed until at least 8 April, the day on which court’s judges will review opposition petitions challenging Bar’s dismissal. However, the court allowed Netanyahu to interview candidates for the post.
The Netanyahu government decided last Friday to end Bar’s tenure on 10 April unless a permanent successor is appointed before that date. The Supreme Court then issued a temporary injunction freezing the decision.
The opposition petitions were submitted to the court by several parties, including Yesh Atid, National Unity, Yisrael Beiteinu and the Democrats, as well as NGOs such as the Movement for Quality Government.
Bar’s dismissal has been described as a “serious conflict of interest” on Netanyahu’s part, given the Shin Bet’s investigations into his and his government’s responsibility for the events of 7 October, 2023.
However, Netanyahu defended his decision, claiming that the decision to dismiss a Shin Bet chief falls within the government’s authority and should not be subject to judicial oversight. This is the first time that an Israeli government has decided to dismiss a head of the internal security service. Netanyahu justifies the move by citing a “lack of trust” in Bar.
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