On Friday, the Israeli government overwhelmingly supported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal intelligence service. The PM’s office released a statement affirming the government’s unanimous endorsement of Netanyahu’s proposal to terminate Bar’s tenure.

The removal of Bar has been protested by thousands of individuals, who have demonstrated against the decision since Tuesday. They view it as having significant implications for an ongoing investigation into financial links between several of Netanyahu’s aides and Qatar while they were working for the Israeli leader. The Shin Bet is currently conducting this investigation alongside Israeli police.

Ronen Bar did not attend the meeting where his dismissal was debated and voted upon, instead sending a letter addressed to the Israeli media. In this letter, Bar decried the process as “inappropriate for any employee, especially a high-ranking one and the head of the Shin Bet.” He argued that Netanyahu’s reasoning seemed to be an attempt to “hide the real motives” behind the dismissal, which he labeled as “profoundly wrong.”

Bar also contested Netanyahu’s claim that the dismissal was due to a loss of trust. According to Bar, it was rather about the perception of personal loyalty overshadowing loyalty to the public.

Netanyahu, on his X account, attributed the protests to a “leftist Deep State” trying to “thwart the people’s will.” A number of protesters clashed with the police, resulting in several arrests and injuries, with water cannons used to disperse the crowd.

Yair Golan, the head of the opposition party Democratim, was pushed to the ground by the police during the demonstration. He vowed not to be deterred and called for the support of hostage negotiations and an end to what he termed a “coup.”

The protest also reflected a broader concern among Israelis over the resumption of violence in Gaza, following a two-month ceasefire. There is widespread criticism of the government’s decision to halt discussions for a hostage exchange deal, with many released hostages criticizing the move on social media and viewing it as a death sentence for those still held by Hamas, a terrorist organization responsible for the capture of 59 hostages on October 7, 2023.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/israeli-government-fires-security-service-head-amid-protests/a-71990270?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf