Netanyahu, attorney general clash over dismissal of Shin Bet chief

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara disputed over the government’s attempt to replace Shin Bet security chief Ronen Bar.

Baharav-Miara issued a directive prohibiting Netanyahu from taking any action to remove Bar after the High Court temporarily blocked the government’s attempt to dismiss him, Xinhua news agency reported.

“It is prohibited to appoint a new Shin Bet chief,” she stated, also banning interviews for the post.

In response, Netanyahu rejected the directive, reaffirming the government’s authority over security appointments.

“Israel is a state of law, and according to the law, the government decides who heads the Shin Bet,” his office said in a statement. “There will be no civil war.”

Earlier on Friday, the High Court intervened to suspend Bar’s dismissal while it reviewed a petition filed by opposition parties, who accused Netanyahu of a “severe conflict of interest.”

They claim Netanyahu is attempting to remove Bar in retaliation for Shin Bet’s investigations into his government’s handling of security failures leading up to the October 7 Hamas attack.

Bar’s tenure, initially set to end on April 20, was moved up to April 10 by the cabinet, though officials indicated he could depart sooner if a successor is appointed.

Tensions between Netanyahu and Bar have heightened since the war began, fueled by Shin Bet’s investigations into the government’s wartime decision-making and the “Qatar-Gate” affair, involving alleged undisclosed contacts between Netanyahu aides and Qatari officials.

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu’s cabinet will debate a motion of no confidence against Baharav-Miara on Sunday. The government’s intent to remove her from office was confirmed hours after the dispute with the prime minister.

–IANS