As prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu presses ahead with his efforts to oust Ronen Bar, director of the Israel internal security agency Shin Bet, the intelligence chief submitted a damming affidavit to Israel’s high court, revealing a number of occasions in which he claims Mr Netanyahu asked him to act illegally.
Mr Bar wrote that Mr Netanyahu asked him to channel Shin Bet resources to keep tabs on anti-government protesters, specifically to determine the source of funding for the campaign against the government’s controversial judicial reforms.
Mr Bar also wrote: “It was made clear to me that in the event of a constitutional crisis – I was to obey the prime minister and not the high court of justice.”
Mr Bar claims he was also asked by Mr Netanyahu to write an opinion arguing that due to security concerns there was no safe venue to host Mr Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, when the prime minister was due to testify in court.
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Mr Bar rejected these requests and claims this is why Mr Netanyahu moved to have him dismissed.
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Mr Bar’s affidavit also included 31 classified pages, which it is believed address Shin Bet’s role in the intelligence failure around the Hamas-led attack on Israel of October 7th, 2023, and the affair known as Qatargate, which focuses on alleged Qatari payments to members of the prime minister’s office.
The affidavit followed a high court ruling earlier this month preventing the government from dismissing Mr Bar, on the grounds that proper procedure had not been followed. Mr Bar, who has admitted responsibility for the intelligence failings on October 7th, says he will leave his post early, but has still not set a date.
Mr Netanyahu’s office issued a statement accusing Mr Bar of lying and of trying to overthrow the government. “Ronen Bar’s affidavit is riddled with falsehoods and highlights his failures,” it said. “Bar failed catastrophically on October 7th. That failure alone warrants his dismissal. The head of the Shin Bet [also] failed miserably to address the incitement directed at Israel’s political leadership, including threats to assassinate the prime minister and incitement against government ministers.”
Opposition head Yair Lapid said the revelations proved Mr Netanyahu was no longer fit to rule. “The [Shin Bet] director’s affidavit proves that Netanyahu is a danger to Israel’s security and cannot continue to serve as prime minister.”
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According to media reports, Mr Netanyahu tried to prevent Mr Bar from submitting his affidavit and sought to come to an agreement with him about the date on which he would step down. However, Mr Bar and attorney general Baharav-Miara, who is also under pressure to step down after opposing numerous government Bills, want the court to overrule the cabinet decision to fire Mr Bar.
Mr Bar has already been excluded from a number of key security meetings. However, he is expected to participate in a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday night at which the ongoing military campaign in Gaza will be discussed. Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would take a toilet break when Mr Bar spoke.
Veteran commentator Nahum Barnea wrote in the liberal Yediot Aharonot daily newspaper that the court’s mission was to create order out of the chaos created by Mr Netanyahu.
“Netanyahu’s trial changed him from a standard politician into a haunted, bitter and hasty authoritarian leader. Not just the fear of conviction, but also the insult of having seated him in the defendant’s dock, just like any other citizen. The justices now have to cope with a prime minister who has broken the rules of the game and a fearless [Shin Bet] director who has gone to war against him.”
