PM Netanyahu pressures court to dismiss Shin Bet chief amid 'Qatargate' scandal, mounting legal tensions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar to participate in a security discussion over the phone on Wednesday, according to unnamed sources within the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The invitation was issued amid the “Qatargate” investigations and ongoing conflict between the prime minister and the head of Shin Bet - Israel's domestic intelligence agency, also known as the Israeli Security Agency (ISA). 

An order issued last week, following a High Court hearing on several petitions, stated that although the government may continue interviewing other candidates to lead Shin Bet, it is prohibited from dismissing Bar.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu and the government asked the High Court to cancel this interim prohibition, according to Israeli media.

The PMO statement read, "A period of immunity for the head of the service, during which the clear directive of the legislator, which subjects him to the government’s will, is suspended, severely harms the realization of the goals of the Shin Bet."

The Movement for Quality Government (MQG), a left-leaning Israeli NGO, delivered a petitioner’s response regarding the government's request to allow the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief.

"The MQG, the main petitioner in the case, takes very seriously the government's attempt to apply undue pressure on the Supreme Court through an exceptional appeal to change the decision regarding the head of the Shin Bet." 

"The government continues a dangerous pattern of disrespect for law enforcement institutions in the country, while vilifying the head of the Shin Bet and making unfounded accusations," the MQG statement continued.

"It is important to remember that behind the government's and the prime minister’s futile attacks on the head of the Shin Bet lies the 'Qatargate' scandal, in which the Shin Bet exposed that the prime minister's advisers were receiving money from Qatar – a country that funds Hamas."

"The prime minister must cease his improper conduct, respect the court's decision, and wait for the completion of the legal process as required in a democracy. The basic and self-evident principle is that the investigated party cannot dismiss the investigator." 

In conclusion, the petitioners wrote, "The MQG will continue to protect the professional independence of law enforcement and security systems from any attempt to subordinate them to political considerations and will stand firm against the unprecedented attack on the gatekeepers of the State of Israel."

Netanyahu’s Cabinet voted to dismiss Bar in March, citing a breakdown in trust.