Israeli gov. calls petitions against Shin Bet chief firing 'nonsense'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
6 Apr 2025 12:19

The Israeli government dismisses petitions against the firing of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, stating they lack legal foundation and arguing the decision is within the government's authority.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press statement at the Carmelite Monastery in the Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday, April 3, 2025 (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government have dismissed petitions challenging the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar as "nonsense" and "lacking legal foundation, an appropriate cause, and a factual basis," in their response to motions filed with the High Court of Justice, The Times of Israel reported on Sunday.

Netanyahu announced Bar's dismissal on March 21, citing an "ongoing lack of trust," but the supreme court swiftly suspended the decision until April 8.

The response, submitted by attorney Zion Amir, who is representing the respondents independently due to the attorney general's opposition to Bar's dismissal, indicated that the petitions are an attempt to undermine the government’s authority and its fundamental responsibility for the security of "Israel" and its citizens.

Amir asserted that the petitions do not challenge administrative procedures but seek to overturn governmental arrangements by enabling the judicial branch to assume control of decisions that are the executive branch’s, particularly in the case of the Shin Bet, under a 2002 law which grants the prime minister and the government the authority to appoint and remove the head of the agency.

“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,” he stressed.

Petitioners, however, argue that while the prime minister and government hold the power to hire and fire the Shin Bet chief, such decisions, like all administrative actions, are open to judicial review. They contend that Bar’s dismissal was politically and personally motivated by Netanyahu’s dissatisfaction with Bar for non-professional reasons, especially given the Shin Bet’s investigation into Netanyahu’s aides for alleged improper activities.

In a letter to the High Court on Friday, Bar stated that Netanyahu repeatedly pressured him to falsely inform the court that the prime minister could not testify regularly in his criminal trial due to security concerns. Bar claimed that his refusal to comply with Netanyahu's request led to a breakdown in their trust.

Bar's relationship with Netanyahu's government soured after he blamed the executive for the Palestinian Resistance attack on October 7, 2023, and following a Shin Bet probe into alleged covert payments from Qatar to some Netanyahu aides.

Israeli police on Monday announced the arrest of two Netanyahu aides, Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, for their alleged involvement in the case dubbed "Qatargate" in Israeli media.

Netanyahu testified in the investigation and later denounced it as a "political witch hunt" aimed at "preventing the dismissal" of Bar.

The move to dismiss Bar has sparked mass protests in occupied al-Quds and Tel Aviv.