Ronen Bar dismissal attempt
{{Afd-merge to|Ronen Bar|Ronen Bar dismissal attempt|12 May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Expand Hebrew|date=April 2025|topic=Politics}}
{{Infobox event
| image = Secretary Blinken meets with Israeli Prime Minister(cropped).jpg
| caption = Benjamin Netanyahu (second from the left) and Ronen Bar (right) in a meeting with Antony Blinken, February 2024
| image_alt = Benjamin Netanyahu and Ronen Bar in a meeting with Antony Blinken, February 2024
| partof = Qatargate
| native_name = ניסיון הדחת רונן בר
| native_name_lang = he
| date = {{start date|2015|03|16}} – ongoing
| duration =
| Location = Israel
}}
{{Qatari connection affair}}
Ronen Bar, head of the Israeli domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, was fired by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 16 March 2025. The firing was approved by the government, then frozen by the Supreme Court of Israel.
Bar was appointed head of the Shin Bet on 13 October 2021, and served in this position prior to the 7 October massacre and during the Gaza war.{{Cite news |last=Burke |first=Jason |date=21 March 2025 |title=Who is Ronen Bar, the sacked chief of Israel's Shin Bet security service? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/21/who-is-ronen-bar-the-recently-sacked-chief-of-israel-shin-bet-security-service |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Sequence of events
On 16 March 2025, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he intended to submit a proposal to the government to terminate Bar's role as head of the Shin Bet, claiming that "at all times, but especially during such an existential war, the Prime Minister must have full confidence in the head of the Shin Bet, but unfortunately, the situation is the opposite – I do not have such confidence... I have an ongoing distrust in the head of the Shin Bet that has grown over time." {{Cite web |title=Full text: In letter to cabinet, Bar says his firing 'entirely tainted by conflicts of interest' |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-in-letter-to-cabinet-ronen-bar-says-his-firing-entirely-tainted-by-conflicts-of-interest/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=The Times of Israel|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Berman |first=Lazar |date=21 March 2025 |title=Cabinet fires Shin Bet chief; PM claims lack of trust in Bar, who calls move invalid |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/cabinet-fires-shin-bet-chief-pm-claims-lack-of-trust-in-bar-who-calls-move-invalid/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}} In response, the Attorney General of Israel informed Netanyahu that he could not arbitrarily dismiss Ronen Bar, "until the investigation into the factual and legal basis for your decision and your ability to address the issue at this time is complete." Ronen Bar also responded to Netanyahu's statement, stating: "The duty of trust owed by the head of the Shin Bet is first and foremost to the citizens of Israel. The Prime Minister's expectation of a personal duty of trust is inappropriate." On 20 March 2025, the government unanimously voted that Bar would end his term no later than 10 April.{{Cite web |last=Sharon |first=Jeremy |date=23 April 2025 |title=Bar's allegations against Netanyahu have raised the risk of a constitutional crisis |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bars-allegations-against-netanyahu-have-raised-the-risk-of-a-constitutional-crisis/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last1=Azulay |first1=Moran |last2=Zitun |first2=Yoav |date=20 March 2025 |title=Government votes to oust Shin Bet chief; Ronen Bar claims 'ulterior motive' |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjsgxbc2je |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=Ynetnews |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=20 April 2025 |title=Israel: Supreme Court delays ruling on Bar's dismissal amid political bias claims |url=https://www.france24.com/en/video/20250420-israel-supreme-court-delays-ruling-on-ronen-bar-s-dismissal-amid-political-bias-claims |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=France 24 |language=en}}
Following the government's decision, several entities and opposition parties filed a petition with the Supreme Court against Bar's dismissal.{{Cite news |last1=Eichner |first1=Itamar |last2=Azulay |first2=Moran |date=21 March 2025 |title=Top court freezes dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjrx11c931x |access-date=25 April 2025 |work=Ynetnews |language=en}}
On 21 March, Supreme Court Judge Gila Canfy-Steinitz froze the dismissal and ordered a hearing in an expanded panel "as soon as possible and no later than April 8, 2025".{{Failed verification|date=April 2025}} In response to the petition, the government argued that the issue was not adjudicated.
On 8 April 2025, the Supreme Court heard the petitions. The procedure was broadcast live. The court ruled that Netanyahu was prohibited from announcing a replacement , but was permitted to interview possible candidates. The judges added that the government was prohibited from excluding Bar from the consultations. The decision allows both the head of the Shin Bet and the Prime Minister to submit affidavits in support of their factual claims. At the same time, the government and Attorney General of Israel Gali Baharav-Miara can reach an agreed settlement by 20 April .{{Cite web |last1=Atkinson |first1=Emily |last2=Baker |first2=Graeme |date=21 March 2025 |title=Ronen Bar: Israel's Supreme Court freezes PM's order to sack security chief |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwygkknzn9yo |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}
= Affidavit of the head of the Shin Bet =
On 21 April , Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar submitted an affidavit to the court, most of it secret and some of it public. In his affidavit, Bar claims that his conclusion from the sequence of events is that the source of the desire to terminate his tenure is not on a professional level but rather in the expectation of personal loyalty on his part to the Prime Minister, and that until November 2024, the Shin Bet had received many compliments from the Prime Minister.{{Cite news |last=Kershner |first=Isabel |date=21 April 2025 |title=Israeli Security Chief Accuses Netanyahu of Making Improper Requests |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/world/middleeast/israel-security-chief-netanyahu-accusations.html |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
In the public part of the affidavit, Bar made the following claims:
- Netanyahu asked him to give a security opinion that Netanyahu cannot testify at his trial and Bar refused to do so.{{Cite web |last=Breuer |first=Eliav |date=23 April 2025 |title=Calls for Netanyahu's incapacitation increase after Shin Bet chief affidavit |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-851225 |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en}}
- The Prime Minister's Office asked him to act against anti-government protesters and monitor "protest financiers", including Gonen Ben Itzhak.{{Cite web |title='Out of deep concern for the State of Israel': Full text of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar's affidavit |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/out-of-deep-concern-for-the-state-of-israel-full-text-of-shin-bet-chief-ronen-bars-affidavit/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Yoaz |first=Yuval |date=23 April 2025 |title=Ronen Bar's bombshell affidavit puts the ball squarely in attorney general's court |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/ronen-bars-bombshell-affidavit-puts-the-ball-squarely-in-attorney-generals-court/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Sharon |first=Jeremy |date=23 April 2025 |title=Netanyahu reportedly asked Ronen Bar to act against protest leader Gonen Ben Yitzhak |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-reportedly-asked-ronen-bar-to-act-against-protest-leader-gonen-ben-yitzhak/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}
- Netanyahu demanded personal loyalty, obedience to him and not to the Supreme Court.{{Cite web |last=Sharon |first=Jeremy |date=21 April 2025 |title=Bar says Netanyahu demanded personal loyalty, obedience to him and not Supreme Court |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bar-says-netanyahu-demanded-personal-loyalty-obedience-to-him-and-not-supreme-court/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}}
- The Shin Bet started an investigation, which presented the policy of the political echelon towards the Gaza Strip and the warnings that were conveyed to the political echelon by the Shin Bet during 2023 and were ignored by it.{{Cite news |last=Eyal |first=Nadav |date=18 March 2025 |title=The letter that led to Netanyahu's decision to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skykzau31e |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=Ynetnews |language=en}}
- The Shin Bet started an investigation into the connection between those employed in the Prime Minister's Office and the government of Qatar which resulted in his dismissal.
On 21 May, the Supreme Court declared Bar's dismissal "unlawful".{{Cite web |title=Israeli supreme court rules Netanyahu's sacking of security chief 'unlawful' |url=https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250521-israeli-supreme-court-rules-shin-bet-chief-s-sacking-unlawful |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=France 24 |language=en-US}}
Bar's resignation
On 28 April, Bar tendered his resignation effective 15 June, citing responsibility for failing to prevent the 7 October attacks.{{Cite web |date=29 April 2025 |title=Israel's domestic security chief says he will step down in June, defusing battle with Netanyahu |url=https://apnews.com/article/israel-shin-bet-security-ed3356cd209c32fd52769bd6b516a446 |access-date=29 April 2025 |website=AP News |language=en|last=Melzer |first=Natalie }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Gaza war}}
{{Benjamin Netanyahu}}
Category:2025 in international relations
Category:2025 in Israeli politics
Category:Political scandals in Israel