The head of Israel’s internal security service on Monday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to exploit the power of the agency for political and personal gain through a litany of improper demands. His comments deepened a showdown between the two men that has divided the nation, AP reports.
In a submission to the Supreme Court, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar wrote that he refused a request from Netanyahu to identify Israeli anti-government protesters and surveil their financial backers.
Bar said he also was told to obey Netanyahu and not the courts in the event of a constitutional crisis. And he said there were attempts to force him to sign a document that would make it nearly impossible for Netanyahu to testify in his corruption trial because of security concerns, something he said he rejected doing.
Netanyahu’s office called Bar’s affidavit “full of lies.”
The affidavit was the latest salvo in a deepening rift between Netanyahu and the Shin Bet, which monitors Palestinian militant groups and is seen as having played a major role in failing to prevent Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that sparked the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu moved to fire Bar last month over what he said was a crisis of confidence surrounding Hamas’ attacks. The step to dismiss Bar sparked an uproar in Israel because it came as the agency is investigating ties between the Israeli leader’s office and the Gulf Arab state of Qatar — a key mediator between Hamas and Israel over the war in Gaza. Critics say the firing is tainted by a conflict of interest meant to derail that probe, a charge Netanyahu denies.
Israel’s Supreme Court froze Bar’s firing following multiple legal challenges against the move. In a hearing earlier this month, it called on the sides to reach a compromise on Bar’s dismissal. The affidavit was submitted as part of deliberations on the firing.
The Shin Bet is meant to be apolitical, but Bar has accused Netanyahu of demanding personal loyalty. He said he was submitting his affidavit to ensure the agency’s “professional independence as well as its ability to refuse to carry out improper orders.”
Netanyahu’s office said Bar’s affidavit was further proof of the Shin Bet chief’s failures surrounding Oct. 7. Responding to Bar’s accusations, it said Netanyahu made no illegal requests against the protesters but rather asked for stricter enforcement against what he said was their “violent incitement.” The statement denied Netanyahu had sought to disrupt his testimony.
Netanyahu has sought repeatedly to cast blame for Hamas’ attacks on his security chiefs, despite mounting public pressure that he accept responsibility for failing to prevent the Oct. 7 assault. Bar, in the early weeks of the war, accepted blame for his role in the blunder and has said he would resign in due time. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has resisted calls for an official governmental probe into the military and intelligence failures surrounding the attack.
