Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he has a plan to fire Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet, saying that he has lost trust in him. A government vote regarding Bar’s dismissal is expected on Wednesday, which will likely escalate the political instability in Israel, something that had been accentuated ever since the war on Gaza started.
Netanyahu’s office has stated that trust in the Shin Bet chief is “crucial during wartime,” although Bar has said that his firing is not tied to the October 7th operation. He, however, said that while it was the agency’s failure to prevent the assault, he also accused Netanyahu of prioritizing “personal loyalty over the public interest.” Opposition leaders, like Yair Golan from the Democratic Party, have condemned this action, viewing it as an attempt to get rid of those who oppose Netanyahu.
The potential firing of Bar comes after many other important resignations connected to the attack, like former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and military chief Herzi Halevi. It is interesting to note that Bar’s predecessor, Nadav Argaman, threatened to unveil incriminating information about Netanyahu if any laws were broken, which led the prime minister to make a police complaint for alleged blackmail.
Netanyahu has resisted calls for an independent inquiry into regarding the Shin Bet's failures during the October 7th attack.