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Eitan Elhadez-Barak/TPS-IL on 17 March, 2025
Netanyahu Fired Me for Refusing Personal Loyalty Over Law, Security Chief Says
Jerusalem, 21 April, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar told the High Court of Justice on Monday that he was fired not for professional reasons but because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected personal loyalty — even above adherence to the Supreme Court in a potential constitutional crisis.
In a formal court filing challenging his ouster, Bar detailed several instances where his actions clashed with Netanyahu’s demands. These included authorizing an investigation into the classified documents scandal at the Prime Minister’s Office and refusing to back Netanyahu’s claim that he couldn’t testify in court for security reasons.
Bar also cited the Shin Bet’s conclusion that political leadership bore some responsibility for the October 7 Hamas attack, and the agency’s support for a state commission of inquiry into the failures of that day. Additionally, Bar approved an investigation into the so-called Qatargate affair.
“It was made clear to me,” Bar stated, “that in the event of a constitutional crisis, I must obey the prime minister and not the Supreme Court.”
According to Bar, Netanyahu sought to use the Shin Bet to track anti-government protesters and obtain details about protest leaders — requests Bar said he rejected. He further claimed that such directives were made only after official meetings ended and when neither the military secretary nor the stenographer were present, allegedly to avoid any record.
The Prime Minister’s Office dismissed Bar’s claims as false. In a brief statement, it called the affidavit a “false affidavit” and promised to disprove it thoroughly. “Bar’s submission will be refuted in detail in the near future. Stay tuned for more.”
Netanyahu and Bar have been blaming each other over what was known before Hamas’ October 7 attack and whether it could have been prevented, as well as the Qatargate” scandal. The government voted to fire Bar in March, but the High Court of Justice issued an interim injunction against his dismissal.
Bar claims that Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss him was influenced by a conflict of interest related to the ongoing investigation. The government argues that Bar should have resigned after the agency completed its internal investigation in March.
The Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service, is responsible for counterterrorism, counterintelligence, internal security, VIP protection, and cybersecurity. The only Shin Bet director to ever leave before the end of his five-year term was Carmi Gillon, who resigned in the aftermath of the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
