Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel states his lack of trust in the head of their domestic security agency.
Netanyahu’s office released a statement on Sunday, declaring an ongoing lack of confidence in Ronen Bar and emphasizing that trust in the security service’s leadership is vital during times of conflict.
Israeli media report that the vote to dismiss the Shin Bet official is anticipated to occur during a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
There has been no immediate response from Shin Bet or Ronen Bar.
However, Yair Golan, the leader of the Israeli Democrat party, denounced the move to dismiss Bar, writing on social media that “Netanyahu has declared war on the State of Israel.”
Golan further stated, “The removal of the Shin Bet head is a desperate attempt by a defendant in a criminal case to eliminate someone loyal to Israel who is investigating serious offenses by Netanyahu and his close associates without turning a blind eye.”
Golan emphasized that the dismissal of Shin Bet’s head will not go unopposed, vowing to fight against Netanyahu’s alleged attempts to establish a corrupt dictatorship in Israel.
The decision to dismiss Bar follows a contentious dispute between the two over responsibility for the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the war in Gaza.
The Shin Bet, responsible for monitoring Palestinian armed groups, issued a report acknowledging its failures in the attack, which is regarded as Israel’s most significant security failure, resulting in the highest number of fatalities on a single day.
However, the organization also criticized Netanyahu for failing government policies contributing to the attack.
Netanyahu has opposed calls for a state-level inquiry into the events of October 7.
Several senior Israeli officials, including former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, have resigned due to their roles in the Hamas attack’s failures.
Tensions escalated over the weekend when Bar’s predecessor, Nadav Argaman, threatened to expose sensitive information about Netanyahu if it was found that the prime minister had broken the law.
Netanyahu accused Argaman of blackmail and filed a police complaint.
