Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has, in a letter sent on Sunday, April 27, to the Supreme Court, described as ” liar ” Ronen Bar, the head of the internal security services, that the government wants to dismiss and who had questioned it with the same institution.
Responding in detail to the accusations of Mr. Bar, who had himself presented a written declaration to the Supreme Court on April 21, Mr. Netanyahu notably refutes the declaration that he would have asked Mr. Bar to monitor Protestant demonstrators against government policy in 2023. “The accusation that I asked to act against innocent citizens, or against a non -violent and legitimate political protest during the protests in 2023, is an absolute lie”he says.
In his oath declaration, Mr. Bar also assured that Mr. Netanyahu had asked him for personal loyalty. “There is no evidence supporting these words”retorts the head of government.
At the heart of the dispute between the two men, the course of the events at night preceding Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023. Mr. Bar had firmly rejected the accusations of Mr. Netanyahu and his entourage according to which the Shin Bet did not alert the Prime Minister and the other security services in time.
Benyamin Netanyahu evokes a “loss of confidence”
“That night, nothing was hidden from the security apparatus or the Prime Minister”said Mr. Bar. “He did not wake up the Prime Minister. He did not wake the Minister of Defense. He did not wake up the soldiers of the army. He did not wake up the safety teams in the localities close to the Gaza Strip. He did not wake the participants to the Nova party ”denounces Mr. Netanyahu. “He did not accomplish his main mission that night”he adds.
“Ronen Bar failed in his role as head of the Shin Bet and has lost the confidence of the entire Israeli government as to his ability to continue directing the organization. It was this loss of confidence that led to the end of his mandate ”concludes Mr. Netanyahu in this 23 -page document.
Sunday, the chief of the Shin Bet counterattacked, castigating a document “Filled with inaccuracies, biased quotes and half-truths, aimed at getting the facts out of their context and distorting reality”. “The truth is that I was asked to transfer information concerning Israeli citizens who are activists of the protest”he reacted in a press release.
“And the truth is that the Prime Minister gave me as an investigation in the event of a constitutional crisis, I had to obey the Prime Minister and not to the Court”he added. He also challenged the reproaches linked to the attack on October 7, 2023, denouncing a Prime Minister who has “Directly dictated” financing ” discreet “ Hamas and who “Never assumed his responsibility”.
On April 8, the Supreme Court confirmed in a judgment its initial decision to suspend the dismissal of the chief of Shin Bet, after the examination of the five appeals which it had been seized. “I will soon announce the date of my resignation”had announced Mr. Bar in his declaration to the Supreme Court.