Netanyahu seeks to dismiss Israel's internal security chief as power struggle boils over

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he will seek to dismiss the head of the internal security service this week, deepening a power struggle focused largely on who bears responsibility for the Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s effort to remove Ronen Bar as director of the Shin Bet comes as the security service investigates close aides of the prime minister. Netanyahu said he has had “ongoing distrust” with Bar, and “this distrust has grown over time.”

Bar responded by saying he planned to continue in the post for the near future, citing “personal obligations” to finish “sensitive investigations," free the remaining hostages in Gaza and prepare potential successors.

Bar also criticized Netanyahu’s expectation of a personal loyalty that contradicts the public interest. But he emphasized that he would respect any legal decision regarding his tenure.

Attorney general says Netanyahu must explain legal basis for his decision

Israel’s attorney general said Netanyahu must clarify the legal basis for his decision before taking any action.

The Shin Bet is responsible for monitoring Palestinian militant groups, and recently issued a report accepting responsibility for its failures around the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. It also criticized Netanyahu, saying failed government policies helped create the climate that led to it.

While the army concluded in a recent report that it underestimated Hamas’ capabilities, Shin Bet said it had a “deep understanding of the threat.” In veiled criticism of the government, the agency said its attempts to thwart the threat were not implemented.

“The investigation reveals a long and deliberate disregard from the political leadership from the organization’s warnings,” Bar's statement said.

Deflecting blame for the Oct. 7 attack

Netanyahu has resisted calls for an official state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack and has tried to blame the failures on the army and security agencies. In recent months, a number of senior security officials, including a defense minister and army chief, have been fired or forced to step down.

Bar has been one of the few senior security officials since the Oct. 7 attack to remain in office.

If successful in removing him, Netanyahu would be expected to appoint a loyalist in his place, slowing any momentum for the commission of inquiry. The prime minister said removing him would help Israel “achieve its war goals and prevent the next disaster.”

Netanyahu’s proposed resolution for Bar’s dismissal would need the approval of parliament, the Knesset, and it is likely he has support to pass it.

However, a personnel decision of this magnitude must get the attorney general’s approval, said Amichai Cohen, a senior research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute think tank.

In her letter to Netanyahu warning he could not go ahead without clarification, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara added that he should “pay attention to the fact that the role of the Shin Bet is not to serve the personal trust of the prime minister,” according to a statement from her office.

The two have a combative relationship, with the prime minister accusing Baharav-Miara of meddling in government decisions. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, one of Netanyahu’s biggest supporters, initiated the process of firing her.

Cohen also called Netanyahu’s decision “very problematic." He said it illustrates the conflict of interest regarding the Shin Bet findings around the Oct. 7 attack and the agency's investigations into connections between the prime minister’s office and Qatar, a mediator in talks on the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu is angry that the Shin Bet is investigating members of his staff for their dealings with Qatar.

Eli Feldstein, Netanyahu’s former spokesperson, was reported by Israel’s Channel 12 to have worked for a Doha-based firm that recruited Israeli journalists to write pro-Qatar stories. Israel’s left-leaning daily, Haaretz, has reported that two other Netanyahu staffers, Jonatan Urich and Yisrael Einhorn, allegedly built a campaign to bolster Qatar’s image ahead of the 2022 World Cup there.

The Shin Bet, and Bar, have been closely involved with the Gaza hostage negotiations. Netanyahu recently removed Bar from the negotiating team and replaced him with a loyalist, Cabinet minister Ron Dermer. Israeli media have reported on policy differences between the negotiators, who have pushed for a hostage deal, and Netanyahu, who threatens to resume the war.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a good-governance civil society group, called Netanyahu’s announcement a “declaration of war on the rule of law” and claimed that he does not have the authority to take the step against Bar because of the investigations into his office.

The group's chair, Eliad Shraga, called the announcement unlawful and “an extreme example of conflict of interest.”

Opposition leader calls plans to dismiss Bar ‘shameful’

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would appeal Bar’s dismissal, calling the resolution “shameful” and politically motivated.

Since Netanyahu was indicted on corruption charges in 2019, he has claimed to be the victim of a “deep state” conspiracy by the media, judiciary and other unelected civil servants.

He launched a plan to overhaul the country’s judicial system in early 2023, sparking months of street protests by demonstrators who accused him of trying to weaken the country’s system of checks and balances.

Israeli media have said Bar was among top security officials warning ahead of the Oct. 7 attack that the strife was sending an image of weakness to Israel’s enemies.