TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he will seek to dismiss the head of the internal security service, Ronen Bar, this week, intensifying a power struggle within Israel’s security establishment.
The move follows mounting tensions over accountability for the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
Netanyahu cited “ongoing distrust” with Ronen Bar, stating that their working relationship had deteriorated over time.
However, his decision comes as the Shin Bet investigates members of the prime minister’s staff over alleged dealings with another country.
Ronen Bar rejects Netanyahu’s justification
Ronen Bar, who has led Israel’s internal security agency since 2021, responded by saying he intends to remain in his position for the time being, citing his “personal obligations” to oversee sensitive investigations, secure the release of remaining hostages in Gaza, and prepare potential successors.
In a statement reported by Israeli media, Bar criticised Netanyahu’s expectation of personal loyalty, arguing that such a demand contradicts the agency’s duty to act in the national interest.
However, he affirmed that he would respect any legal decision regarding his tenure.
Challenges to Netanyahu’s move
Israel’s Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, has demanded that Netanyahu provide legal justification for Bar’s dismissal before taking any action.
In a statement from her office, she emphasised that the Shin Bet “is not meant to serve the personal trust of the prime minister.”
Under Israeli law, the removal of a Shin Bet chief requires parliamentary approval, which Netanyahu is likely to secure.
However, a dismissal of this magnitude also requires legal clearance from the attorney general, according to Amichai Cohen, a senior research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute.
“This decision is highly problematic,” Cohen told Israeli newspaper Haaretz, adding that it illustrates the conflict of interest surrounding the Shin Bet’s findings on the October 7 attack and its ongoing investigations into Netanyahu’s office.
Blame game over October 7 attack
The Shin Bet recently released a report acknowledging its failure to prevent Hamas’ unprecedented assault on southern Israel.
However, the report also placed blame on Netanyahu’s government, stating that political leaders had long ignored security warnings from intelligence agencies.
“The investigation reveals a long and deliberate disregard from the political leadership of the organisation’s warnings,” Bar’s statement said.
The Israeli military has also admitted underestimating Hamas’ capabilities, but the Shin Bet maintained that it had a “deep understanding of the threat” and suggested that its recommendations were not properly implemented.
Netanyahu has resisted calls for an official state commission of inquiry into the attack and has instead attempted to shift blame onto the military and intelligence agencies.
Since the war began, several high-ranking officials, including a former defence minister and army chief, have been dismissed or forced to resign.
Netanyahu’s motives
According to critics, Netanyahu’s effort to remove Bar is politically motivated. If successful, he would likely replace the Shin Bet chief with a loyalist, further delaying any potential inquiry into the government’s failures surrounding the attack.
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a civil society group advocating for transparency and good governance, condemned Netanyahu’s move as “a declaration of war on the rule of law.”
The group’s chairman, Eliad Shraga, described the decision as “an extreme example of conflict of interest” and questioned its legality given the Shin Bet’s active investigation into Netanyahu’s staff.
