The Israeli High Court of Justice has issued a temporary order mandating that Ronen Bar remain in his role as head of the Shin Bet for the time being, as the government and the attorney general’s office work toward resolving the legal controversy surrounding his planned removal.
Along with its ruling, the court has formally proposed that both the government and the attorney general try to reach a mutual understanding on the issue and has given them until April 20, the day following the end of Passover, to come to terms.
During the court proceedings, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, along with officials representing the Attorney General’s Office, appeared open to engaging in discussions on how to move forward. This came after Justice Noam Sohlberg put forth the idea of referring the dispute to the advisory committee that oversees senior civil service appointments to obtain its input.
The justices also instructed the government that it must refrain from taking any steps to oust Bar while the interim order remains active. This includes avoiding any announcement of a replacement and ensuring that Bar’s authority as the head of the Shin Bet is not compromised, nor should there be any alterations in how the agency interacts with the government.
{Matzav.com Israel}