Israeli Cabinet Dismisses Shin Bet Chief as Protests Erupt Over War, Alleged Corruption
Israel’s cabinet voted early Friday to remove Ronen Bar, the head of the country’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, from his position effective April 10. The move follows three days of widespread protests, in which demonstrators also voiced opposition to the renewed offensive in Gaza and the ongoing hostage crisis there.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced earlier this week that he had “lost confidence” in Bar, who has led Shin Bet since 2021. Bar did not attend the cabinet session but, in a letter sent to ministers, claimed his dismissal violated standard procedures and was based on “baseless” allegations. He accused the government of acting under a “conflict of interest” and dismissed the reasoning behind his firing as “unacceptable.”
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The decision to terminate Bar’s tenure sparked fierce demonstrations in Tel Aviv and near the prime minister’s Jerusalem residence. Late Thursday, police reportedly fired water cannons to disperse crowds, making numerous arrests as protesters attempted to breach security cordons. Some of the demonstrators also denounced Israel’s resumed fighting in Gaza, which ended a two-month-old ceasefire while 59 Israeli hostages remain captive in the enclave.
Bar’s dismissal comes after months of reported friction between him and Netanyahu over a corruption probe into alleged bribe offers to figures tied to Qatar. Netanyahu has dismissed the claims as a politically motivated smear. Critics accuse him of attacking the independence of key state institutions by purging senior officials who question his leadership.
Bar had previously said he intended to resign early after accepting responsibility for intelligence lapses ahead of Hamas’ surprise assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
