Israeli Cabinet Backs Netanyahu’s Firing of Security Services Chief

Shin Bet director Ronen Bar did not attend the meeting where the vote on his dismissal took place.

Ronen Bar, chief of Israel's domestic Shin Bet security agency, attends a ceremony marking Memorial Day for fallen soldiers of Israel's wars and victims of attacks at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl military cemetery on May 13, 2024. Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images

The Israeli cabinet voted on Friday to back Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to remove the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service amid protests against the move.

“The Government unanimously approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to end [Israel Security Agency] Director Ronen Bar’s term of office,” Netanyahu’s office stated.

Bar, who has headed Shin Bet since 2021, will end his duties on April 10. Netanyahu’s office stated that his departure could occur sooner if the government finds a replacement.

Bar did not attend the meeting where the vote on his dismissal took place. He sent a letter to the cabinet, criticizing the move as being influenced by “institutional conflicts of interest,” according to local media.

In the letter published by the Times of Israel, Bar said the process of his removal “does not comply with the legal provisions and rules concerning the termination of any employee’s tenure, let alone a senior official.”

He stated that the draft resolution calling for his dismissal contained “unfounded claims,” which he alleged were intended to conceal the real motives behind his removal.

Netanyahu’s push to fire Bar followed the security service’s probe into allegations that the prime minister’s aides were offered bribes by Qatar. Netanyahu said on Sunday that he has had “ongoing distrust” with Bar, which made it difficult to work with the Shin Bet leader.

Bar stated in his letter that a “highly sensitive investigation is currently underway concerning Qatar’s involvement in Israel’s highest decision-making processes, including the Prime Minister’s Office.”

Over the past three days, demonstrators opposing Bar’s removal have joined forces with those protesting against Israel’s move to resume fighting in Gaza.

On Thursday, police reportedly fired water cannons and made numerous arrests as scuffles broke out during protests in Tel Aviv and near the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem.

Israel has resumed military operations in Gaza two months after it entered into a cease-fire deal with terrorist group Hamas on Jan. 19. Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to take “strong action” against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip because of the terror group’s refusal to release the remaining hostages.

Netanyahu vowed that Israel would act against Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip with “increasing military strength” to secure the release of the remaining hostages, both living and deceased.

Hamas is estimated to still hold 25 hostages and the remains of 30 others. Israel has also halted the entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip since early March.

The Shin Bet recently released a report admitting its failures around Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the killings of 1,100 people. Hamas also abducted 250 hostages during the attack, which it later used as bargaining chips.

The security service stated in its report that it underestimated Hamas’s capabilities and also criticized the government for disregarding warnings about the terror group’s threats.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.