Israeli Shin Bet chief accuses Netanyahu of seeking personal loyalty
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The Israeli security chief submitted an affidavit accusing the Israeli prime minister of seeking to exploit the Shin Bet for his personal gain.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Occupied Palestine, Monday, April 21, 2025 (AP)
The Israeli Chief of Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, said on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pressured him to pledge personal loyalty while also instructing him to conduct surveillance on protesters opposing the government.
In a sworn statement submitted to the Supreme Court, the accusations mark the latest development in an ongoing legal and political conflict between Netanyahu and Bar after the government announced its intention to sack the security chief last month, sowing discord across "Israel".
In an affidavit submitted to the court on Monday, the security chief leveled multiple accusations against Netanyahu, including claims that the prime minister had demanded personal loyalty from him.
Bar stated that "it was clear" he would be expected to side with Netanyahu over the Supreme Court in a constitutional crisis, while also alleging that the prime minister had repeatedly instructed him to have Shin Bet act against Israeli citizens participating in anti-government protests, particularly by targeting their financial supporters.
The Shin Bet chief confirmed media reports that Netanyahu had sought his assistance to delay testifying in the prime minister's corruption trial, while also denying accusations from Netanyahu and his allies that the Shin Bet failed to provide timely warnings about the October 7, 2023, attack to the relevant authorities, including the Israeli PM.
Netanyahu's office swiftly dismissed Bar's allegations in a terse statement, declaring that "Ronen Bar submitted a false affidavit to the Supreme Court today, which will be thoroughly refuted in due course," while firmly rejecting the security chief's accusations.
After the April 8 hearing, the Supreme Court ruled that Bar would remain in his position pending a final decision while clarifying that the government could interview potential successors for the role as long as no formal appointment was made.
Court temporarily blocks Shin Bet chief's removal
Last month, Netanyahu announced that his government had unanimously approved Bar's dismissal, citing a 'lack of trust' while ordering him to vacate his position by April 10.
"Since we saw some sparks of willingness here... we are giving you until after Passover (which ends on April 19) to try to reach some kind of creative solution that is agreed upon," by both sides, Head of the Supreme Court Yitzhak Amit announced.
Bar was to end his role as head of the Shin Bet on April 10, 2025, or when a permanent Shin Bet head is appointed – whichever comes first, a government statement said on March 21.
This prompted the Israeli Supreme Court to freeze the decision and state that “Petitions shall be scheduled for a hearing before the panel (of judges) as soon as possible and no later than April 8," just hours after the decision was announced.
Tensions have risen between Netanyahu and the Shin Bet following the agency’s internal investigation into the October 7, 2023 events. Netanyahu dismissed the investigation’s conclusions, stating they didn’t address key questions.
