High court freezes gov’t decision to fire Shin Bet chief Bar; thousands rally against gov't in Jerusalem

The Israeli cabinet voted unanimously to dismiss the head of the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, due to a lack of trust. The decision was made during a late-night meeting on Thursday while thousands rallied against it in pouring rain.

However, on Friday, Israel's High Court issued a temporary injunction against the government's decision to allow time for hearing the petitions against it. A hearing will be set no later than April 8.

While drawing immediate, furious condemnations by coalition politicians, the court decision could remain without effect, as the government has already determined that Bar’s last day will be April 10 – or sooner, should a replacement be appointed before then.

According to Ynet News, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted to the ministers during the cabinet meeting that the government wouldn't let the court prevent the dismissal.

"Can anyone imagine that we would continue to work without trust because of a court order? That cannot happen, and it will not happen," he said.

During the meeting, Netanyahu also reiterated his main charge that since Oct. 7, 2023, he had lost trust in Bar, whose agency was mainly responsible for providing intelligence about Gaza.

“In the IDF, we took advantage of a ceasefire to replace the command. We need to do the same here,” the prime minister argued.

It is the first time in the country’s history that a Shin Bet chief has been fired before the end of his tenure, and the decision followed weeks of Netanyahu and Bar attacking each other in public.

Opposition leaders and NGOs immediately filed petitions against the dismissal with the Israeli High Court.

In addition to Netanyahu's public comments, a “political source” briefed media outlets during the meeting, accusing Bar of clinging “to his position while cynically exploiting the families of the hostages and improperly using his role for political purposes to fabricate baseless investigations.”

Bar did not attend the meeting on Thursday evening, instead publishing a long statement detailing his stance. He rejected the accusations against him as “baseless” and founded on “fundamentally absurd reasoning.” He further argued that the decision to dismiss him is “entirely steeped in ulterior motives and a personal and institutional conflict of interest of the gravest kind.”

The “political source,” widely believed to be Netanyahu himself, said Bar avoided attending the meeting “because he feared giving answers, and especially answering one question: Why, after knowing about the Hamas attack many hours before it occurred, did you do nothing and not call the Prime Minister?”

While Netanyahu had often lamented that the security mechanism did not decide to wake him earlier that morning, the claim that Bar knew about the attack “hours before” is a new accusation – one that is not supported by any publicly available information.

In addition, Kan News reported that the premier’s intelligence attache also received information during the night and did not wake Netanyahu.

Following the meeting, several cabinet members published statements explaining their controversial vote.

“The main reason why I will vote in favor of removing the head of the Shin Bet from his position is his responsibility for the Oct. 7 failure,” said Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar before the vote, which he published afterward.

“All the other responsible persons – the heads of the security establishment – have already fulfilled their responsibility and ended their roles… And I ask – what is the difference?”

Israeli Minister of Agriculture Avi Dichter, who served as Shin Bet director in the past, noted: “Unlike an institution that has operational aspects, the Shin Bet also has personal aspects related to the prime minister, the Shin Bet chief is responsible for the prime minister’s personal security.”

He added: “In a situation of lack of confidence, there are two options: either the Shin Bet chief resigns, or he is fired. And if he does not resign, then he is fired.”

Large-scale demonstrations against Bar’s dismissal had already begun earlier on Thursday. Near the Prime Minister’s residence, once again, protesters attempted to break through barricades and clashed with police, who used water cannons and foul-smelling “skunk water” to disperse them.

Video footage showed Yair Golan – leader of the far-left party, 'The Democrats' – involved in a scuffle with a police officer, who eventually shoved and knocked him to the ground.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. After 38 years in the IDF, a few shoves won’t stop me and us,” Golan wrote on 𝕏. He vowed to not “stop for a moment” in leading a “determined struggle” against the government’s agenda.

Following allegations of excessive brutality, the police stated: “As disturbances occur, and depending on their extent and the nature of the rioters' behavior, the police carry out determined enforcement.”

“The violators and lawbreakers began attempting to break through blockades on Gaza Street, confronted police officers, refused to obey instructions, tried to enter through side roads, damaged a police vehicle parked nearby, set fires among the crowd of protest participants, blocked roads and violated freedom of movement.”

The police added that it “considers the right to protest to be a cornerstone in a democratic country, and allows protests as long as they take place within the framework of the law. At the same time, the police will not allow disturbances of any kind and any behavior that may endanger the safety of the public.”

Opposition leaders sharply criticized the police conduct, as well as Bar’s dismissal.

Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman accused “the prime minister of October 7,” meaning Netanyahu, of “doing exactly what our enemies dream of – fighting the Shin Bet head.”

Opposition leader Yair Lapid reiterated his charge that the reason for Bar’s firing was “to stop the Qatargate investigation,” and vowed the opposition parties would jointly appeal “this reckless step that is meant to whitewash a hostile state’s penetration into the prime minister’s office.”

A first petition was filed on Friday morning by “The Movement for Quality Government in Israel,” an NGO that has spearheaded legal efforts to fight the government’s agenda.

Opposition parties Yesh Atid, National Unity, Yisrael Beytenu, and The Democrats filed a joint petition with the High Court shortly after.