'Israel' Business Forum says to paralyze economy over Bar’s dismissal

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
21 Mar 2025 21:39

Earlier this week, the forum called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reconsider his "destructive" decision to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

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Ronen Bar, chief of "Israel's" Shin Bet security agency, attends a ceremony at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in occupied al-Quds, on May 13, 2024 (AP, File)

The Israel Business Forum, representing most private sector workers from 200 of the occupation entity's largest companies, warned that it will "shut down the Israeli economy" if the government fails to comply with the Supreme Court’s temporary injunction blocking the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

The forum stated, "If the Israeli government does not honor the order and leads Israel into a constitutional crisis, we will call on the entire Israeli public to stop respecting the government’s decisions… and we will shut down the Israeli economy."

Earlier this week, the forum called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reconsider his "destructive" decision to dismiss Bar, emphasizing that internal divisions should not be exacerbated in "Israel's" current political climate.

Israeli AG, Netanyahu butt heads over who appoints new Shin Bet chief

On Friday, Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara emphasized that Netanyahu is prohibited from appointing a new head of Shin Bet after the Supreme Court halted his government's attempt to oust Bar.

"According to the decision of the Supreme Court, it is prohibited to take any action that harms the position of the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar," Baharav-Miara said in a message to Netanyahu published by a spokesperson.

"It is prohibited to appoint a new head of Shin Bet, and interviews for the position should not be held," she added.

In response, Netanyahu posted on X, asserting that the government has the legal authority to determine the head of Shin Bet, insisting that there would be no civil war and stressing that "Israel" is governed by law.

The Supreme Court's freeze on the dismissal order will remain until the appeals, filed by opposition parties and a non-governmental organization, are reviewed before April 8.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party denounced the dismissal decision as one driven by a "flagrant conflict of interest."

In her message to Netanyahu, Baharav-Miara noted that a legal review is ongoing regarding the prime minister's possible involvement in the decision, given concerns over a conflict of interest arising from ongoing Shin Bet investigations into Netanyahu’s associates.

In a public letter, Bar rejected the accusations against him, calling them "general" and "unsubstantiated" and suggesting they obscure the true motivations behind his dismissal, including a "complex, wide-ranging and highly sensitive investigation" into individuals close to Netanyahu allegedly receiving money from Qatar.