The security brief scheduled for Tuesday was canceled after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would not participate in security meetings were Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Ronen Bar to take part in them, two sources told The Jerusalem Post.
The minister made the remarks following the security affair revealed on Tuesday, which saw a Shin Bet official arrested on suspicion of leaking classified information to an elected official and two journalists.
*הודעה מטעם לשכת חבר הקבינט המדיני בטחוני שר האוצר בצלאל סמוטריץ׳:*שר האוצר הודיע לראש הממשלה כי לא ישתתף בדיון הבטחוני החשוב שנקבע להיום במידה ורונן בר יוזמן על ידו להשתתף בדיון. השר סמוטריץ לא ישתתף בדיונים בהם משתתף רונן בר. מטעם השר סמוטריץ׳ נמסר:רונן בר הוא ראש שב"כ…
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) April 15, 2025
The Shin Bet affair prompted reactions from politicians across the spectrum.
Politicians react
Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said that the Shin Bet official was a "hero of Israel, a whistleblower who was willing to take risks against a pair of officials [Shin Bet head Ronen Bar and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara] who entered a dangerously disoriented state."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X/Twitter, "After they instructed to 'gather materials' against me to carry out a targeted elimination, after they spied on the police commissioner and the head of the prison service, after they fabricated cases against outstanding police officers whose only 'crime' was upholding the law and the minister's policy, after they fabricated and continue to fabricate cases against the Prime Minister and his associates, after they lied to the court – after all this, what is it for these criminals to eavesdrop on a journalist?”
The families of the hostages expressed outrage on Tuesday following reports that a key security meeting in the IDF’s Gaza Division was canceled due to a political dispute between Smotrich and Bar.
The families accused the government of letting internal rivalries override urgent national security concerns in a statement, saying, “The families of the hostages are horrified by the idea that sensitive security discussions are being canceled due to personal and political disputes. This is a troubling sign of the government’s priorities.”
“The hostages – and we – don’t have time for power struggles.”
National Unity chair Benny Gantz called the cancellation reckless and said it is harmful to the nation's security.
"The most urgent issue that should occupy the Israeli government and the security forces is to release all of our hostages. Our security interest is also to make a deal, even if painful, but a complete deal – so we can act anywhere and move forward to the next stages in the war against Hamas, which will continue for years."
In a message to Netanyahu, Gantz said, "It is time to put everything aside and bring everyone home."