Netanyahu moves to fire the head of Israel’s internal security service

CNN — After months of tension, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would seek to remove the chief of the Shin Bet security service, Ronen Bar. “The duty of trust owed by the head of the Shin Bet is first and foremost to the citizens of Israel – this perception is what underlies all of my actions and decisions,” Bar said, “The Prime Minister’s expectation of a personal duty of trust whose purpose contradicts the public interest is a fundamentally wrong expectation.” In a video statement released on Sunday, Netanyahu said his “ongoing distrust” of Bar led to this decision. Netanyahu added that removing Bar would be necessary for achieving Israel’s war goals in Gaza and “preventing the next disaster.” The prime minister has frequently criticized the agency, placing blame on its leaders for the security lapses that led to the Hamas October 7, 2023, attacks that killed more than 1,200 people. National Unity Chairman Benny Gantz said it would be a “direct violation of the state’s security and the dismantling of unity in Israeli society for political and personal reasons.” Several far-right members of the government applauded Netanyahu’s intent to fire Bar on Sunday. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that it is a “necessary step” and that it would have been appropriate for the Shin Bet leader to “take real responsibility and resign on his own initiative more than a year ago.” Israel’s former National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who had disputes with Bar over the treatment of Palestinian prisoners and other issues, asserted that Netanyahu’s decision shows “there is no place in a democratic state for officials who behave politically against me and against elected officials.” Ben Gvir has repeatedly called for Bar’s firing.