Israel in political uproar after court blocks dismissal of top security official

On Wednesday night, the justices struck down the dismissal of Ronen Bar, director of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), calling his firing "improper," "unlawful," and tainted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conflict of interest.

"The government failed to provide a factual basis for removing the Shin Bet chief," wrote Court President Justice Isaac Amit in a sharply worded majority opinion. "At best, it rested on a thin and shaky foundation. At worst, it was arbitrary." Amit stressed that the Shin Bet's independence is vital for maintaining Israel's democratic institutions and that Bar's dismissal represented a "neglect of basic concepts concerning the Shin Bet and the position of its director as an apolitical and independent state official who owes, first and foremost, a duty of loyalty to the public."

Though Bar had already announced his resignation effective June 15 and the government technically withdrew its decision to fire him, the court ruled that the matter was of such public importance that it warranted a binding legal interpretation regardless.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara responded swiftly, informing Netanyahu that due to the court's finding of a conflict of interest -- arising from active Shin Bet investigations into the prime minister's close associates and their relationship with Qatar -- he was barred from appointing Bar's successor until new legal guidelines were established.

"The court found that the prime minister acted in a conflict of interest," Baharav-Miara wrote. "Therefore, he must refrain from any steps concerning the appointment of a new Shin Bet director until legal instructions are established to ensure the process is conducted properly. These will be formulated in the coming days."

But Netanyahu lashed out at the decision, calling it "disgraceful" and accusing the court of overreach.

"This ruling harms Israeli democracy and national security," the prime minister declared, insisting that he would move forward with appointing a new Shin Bet head regardless of the attorney general's directive.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin joined the backlash, saying, "There is only one answer to the unbridled rampage of the High Court - the appointment of a Shin Bet head and a civil service commissioner without delay."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went further, accusing the judiciary of undermining democracy. "Mr. Prime Minister, neither the Ministry of Justice nor the High Court are responsible for the security of the state - you are," he said. "If the court rejects the appointment, you must still transfer responsibility for managing the Shin Bet, including its budget, to the new director."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed the ruling was politically motivated and accused Bar of working against the government. "Ronen Bar attempted to fabricate cases against ministers," he said. "Now he's been granted cover by a court that is once again trampling democracy."

Ben-Gvir added, "The sooner we part ways with Bar, the better. We need a director who understands Hamas is the enemy, not Israeli citizens."

Opposition figures, however, hailed the ruling as a defense of democratic norms.

"It's proof of a dysfunctional government when the High Court must remind it to act lawfully in appointing a Shin Bet head," said opposition leader Yair Lapid. "The prime minister is clearly in a serious conflict of interest."

Netanyahu and Bar have been blaming each other over what was known before Hamas' October 7 attack and whether it could have been prevented, as well as the "Qatargate" scandal. Bar claims that Netanyahu's decision to dismiss him was influenced by a conflict of interest related to the ongoing investigation. The government argues that Bar should have resigned after the agency completed its internal investigation in March.

The Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence service, is responsible for counterterrorism, counterintelligence, internal security, VIP protection, and cybersecurity. The only Shin Bet director to ever leave before the end of his five-year term was Carmi Gillon, who resigned in the aftermath of the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. (ANI/TPS)