Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said in a letter he submitted to the High Court of Justice on Friday that his removal from office was initiated after he refused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to rule that the testimony in his trial should not be taken.
According to Bar, pressure was also exerted on him to carry out actions he defines as "against the citizens of the state."
He said he is willing to reveal the events in question to a judge behind closed doors.
"In light of the Shin Bet chief's scathing letter, which described a pattern of pressure from the Prime Minister - including attempts to obstruct his trial and demands to use the powers of the Israel Security Agency against Israeli citizens - it is no longer possible to avoid a clear determination that Netanyahu is unfit and must step down," The Democrats Party, headed by Yair Golan, said in a statement.
"A Prime Minister who attempts to create a secret police force that violates civil rights for political and personal purposes is unfit and poses a clear and present danger to national security and the rule of law."
"Today's letter from the Shin Bet chief confirms the madness and the breakdown of judgement," the party continued. "Every protester becomes a target, every female demonstrator a mark."
"Plans to dismiss the Shin Bet chief were made public as early as November 2024, and on February 3, 2025, it was decided to remove him from the negotiation team - the first step toward ending his term," the Likud Party said in a statement.
"The real conflict of interest lies in the connection between the Attorney-General and the Shin Bet chief - whom the Israeli government unanimously decided to replace - as the two work together to fabricate cases and use law enforcement as a political weapon."
Firing Ronen Bar
Netanyahu has been trying to fire Bar since November 2024. On March 15, Netanyahu informed Bar of his intent to propose his dismissal, citing a "continued lack of trust."
Bar was appointed in 2021 for a five-year term, which was supposed to end in 2026.
The Prime Minister has claimed that he has lost faith in Bar after the Hamas attack, criticizing his approach as "soft" and asserting that Bar is "not the right person to rehabilitate the organization."