On Friday afternoon, Israel’s Supreme Court announced that it would temporarily halt the government’s decision to end Ronen Bar’s tenure as the head of the ISA, pending a hearing on the issue.
This decision came after opposition parties in the Knesset filed an appeal earlier in the day, urging the court to block Bar’s dismissal.
“We hereby issue a temporary order suspending the validity of the decision until the provision of a different decision,” the ruling read.
With this order, the Supreme Court is effectively preventing Bar’s removal from office until a judge can make a final determination. A date for the hearing has not yet been set, but it is expected to take place before Bar’s dismissal becomes official.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi voiced strong disapproval of the Supreme Court’s intervention, arguing that the court has no jurisdiction to interfere in the government’s decision-making process.
In a direct response to Justice Gila Canfy Steinitz, Karhi remarked, “Ronen Bar will end his term on April 10 or earlier, with the appointment of a permanent ISA chief. You do not have the legal authority to interfere in this. That is the authority of the government, and of the government alone. Your order’s validity is negated.”
“This is the end of the story. The nation is the boss.”
The Supreme Court, which selects its own successors through a committee largely composed of its own members or those closely affiliated with it, operates without an elected government having the power to vote for or appoint justices. Unlike in the US system, the Israeli government cannot influence judicial appointments. For many years, the court has used its influence to limit the power of elected officials with whom it politically disagrees.
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