Israel Cabinet Approves Removal of National Security Agency Director

On March 20th, the Israeli cabinet voted to remove the head of the Israeli domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, from his position. This decision, announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, will take effect on April 10th.

Netanyahu stated earlier this week that he had lost trust in Bar, who has been leading Shin Bet since 2021, and intended to dismiss him. Bar was not present at the cabinet meeting but expressed in a letter to ministers that the dismissal process was not in accordance with regulations and was based on groundless accusations.

Protests erupted near the Prime Minister’s residence in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Thursday night, with police using water cannons on demonstrators and making numerous arrests. In Jerusalem, dozens of protesters attempted to breach security cordons.

Over the past three days, protesters calling for Bar’s dismissal have joined forces with those opposing the resumption of hostilities in Gaza. Previously, the Israeli government had decided to resume fighting in Gaza, ending a two-month ceasefire, while Gaza is still holding 59 Israeli hostages, with up to 24 believed to still be alive.

Critics have accused Netanyahu of seeking to dismiss Bar, thereby undermining the institutions that support Israeli democracy. In his letter to the government, Bar claimed that his dismissal was “completely tainted by conflicts of interest” and motivated by “completely different, unrelated, and fundamentally unacceptable reasons.”

Bar had previously announced his intention to step down early, taking responsibility for the intelligence failure that allowed Hamas to launch an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu’s office had stated earlier this week in a press release that the Prime Minister had “never trusted” Bar, the head of the domestic intelligence agency, and that this lack of trust had grown over time.

Tensions between Netanyahu and Bar have been ongoing and intensifying, primarily focused on who should be held accountable for the Hamas attack on October 7 that led to the Gaza conflict.

(Credit: This article is based on Reuters reporting)