On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and the Israeli government submitted a formal response to the High Court of Justice, dismissing the petitions against the dismissal of Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar as baseless and unfounded. They characterized the legal efforts to block Bar’s removal as “nonsense” and said the challenges lacked “legal foundation, an appropriate cause, and a factual basis.”
Representing the government was attorney Zion Amir, appointed to the role independently, as Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara declined to defend the firing, having publicly opposed it.
In his legal filing, Amir argued that the petitions represented an inappropriate judicial overreach into executive authority, stating they were “an attempt to expropriate from the hands of the government of Israel, and by extension from the hands of the public which elected it, its authority and most foundational obligation for the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.”
Amir asserted that the legal challenge was not aimed at ensuring due process but rather at reshaping the balance of power between branches of government. He warned that the move sought to “overturn governmental arrangements” by enabling “the judicial branch to take the reins of government from the executive branch,” especially in a manner that contradicts the 2002 statute granting the prime minister and cabinet authority over appointments and dismissals at Shin Bet.
“The court is not the forum to determine who heads the Shin Bet. It does not have the authority, it does not have the tools, and it does not have the responsibility which stems from these decisions, which are all in the hands of the public through its elected officials,” wrote Amir.
Those challenging Bar’s removal maintain that, while the government does hold the formal right to appoint or dismiss the Shin Bet chief, the act must still adhere to accepted principles of administrative law and remain open to judicial scrutiny.
The petitioners allege that the decision to terminate Bar’s tenure was driven not by professional judgment but by political motives. They claim Netanyahu was angered by Bar for personal reasons, noting that the Shin Bet is currently investigating allegations that close associates of Netanyahu worked on behalf of Qatar while also serving as his media advisers.
Bar, in a letter to the High Court on Friday, asserted that Netanyahu repeatedly pressured him to inform judges in the prime minister’s corruption trial that Netanyahu couldn’t consistently appear in court because of ongoing national security responsibilities.
Bar stated that his refusal to comply with those demands led to the breakdown in trust between himself and Netanyahu.
In his letter, Bar emphasized that his loyalty lay with his professional duties, not to any political leader. He wrote that he upheld “professional independence” rather than showing “personal loyalty” to the prime minister.
“The head of the Shin Bet is not the trusted servant of the prime minister or any other diplomatic or political figure,” Bar wrote.
Reports suggest that Netanyahu made those requests last year during heightened conflict with Hezbollah, which had joined the fray following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault. That month, a Hezbollah drone shattered a window at Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea.
At the time, Netanyahu sought to indefinitely postpone his corruption trial, citing fears that Hezbollah could target the Yerushalayim District Court, where he was expected to testify regularly. Ultimately, the court transferred the trial to Tel Aviv’s fortified courthouse basement instead.
Bar also indicated in his letter that he had refused directives to use Shin Bet resources against Israeli citizens, hinting that the agency was being pressured to surveil anti-government demonstrators.
He further expressed concern over the implications of his dismissal, warning that it could harm the Shin Bet’s future integrity. He asked the High Court to intervene and reverse the decision, suggesting that proceeding with the dismissal during the so-called “Qatargate” investigation would send a “clear message.”
In a rebuttal, Netanyahu’s office harshly criticized Bar’s claims, calling them “tainted with severe conflict of interest” and accusing him of spreading falsehoods. The statement specifically denied Bar’s suggestion that Netanyahu asked the agency to target Israeli citizens, calling it “something that never happened.”
Netanyahu has said his trust in Bar was shattered in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.
{Matzav.com Israel}