Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Ronen Bar on Sunday requested an extension until Monday to submit an affidavit to the High Court of Justice against his dismissal by the government. The court approved the request later in the evening, allowing Bar until noon today to submit his affidavit.
It said though, that the decision was not made lightly, and that the court was concerned with the request.
Bar was set to submit his affidavit on Sunday, while the government is set to do so on Thursday. The affidavits are the result of a push by the court to bring both sides to a compromise over the agency chief’s contentious firing.
Bar’s affidavit is expected to detail political pressures levied against him by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which culminated in his firing. These include repeated demands by the prime minister to postpone the Shin Bet head’s testimonies in his ongoing criminal trial hearings. According to Bar, these demands began in November when he was requested to weigh in and explain that, due to the current security situation, Netanyahu could not consistently testify.
The agency chief has said he investigated the matter and found that, from a security perspective, it is possible for the prime minister to testify. Bar’s opinion needs to be updated monthly.
KAN reported on Sunday night that the Prime Minister’s Office had heavily pressured Bar’s office not to submit the affidavit. The report added that the message sent was for the Shin Bet head to resign willingly on an agreed-upon date. He was also offered involvement in choosing his successor, the report added.
The intelligence chief’s stance may be what convinced Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara that the prime minister has a conflict of interest on this matter. This is one of the themes that came up in the court hearing as well.
Bar’s affidavit is also expected to address the “de-legitimacy” campaign launched by Netanyahu against the Shin Bet.
The government has argued that the security agency chief has failed morally by not stepping down after the Shin Bet probe into October 7 was publicized, while the Attorney-General’s Office and civil rights groups countered that his firing is part of a political ploy to rid Netanyahu opponents, particularly in light of the agency’s investigation into Qatari influences over figures close to the prime minister.
Two weeks ago, the High Court heard arguments from all sides on the matter and said it would give until after the Passover holiday for the government and Bar to submit affidavits in an effort to reach a compromise. If none is reached, the court said it would issue a ruling.
The intelligence chief said he would resign but has not yet given a set date.
In a conversation with bereaved father Itzik Bonzel, Bar said he would step down within the next few weeks or, at most, in two months from now, Bonzel said in a series of interviews over the weekend. On Sunday, he submitted his own affidavit in support of the dismissal.
If Bar decides to resign from his position before the High Court delivers its ruling, the judges are expected to dismiss the affidavits, as they will then become irrelevant.
The Attorney-General’s Office has gone toe-to-toe with the government on the issue at a time when tensions between the two bodies are at an all-time high. The Attorney-General’s Office is usually supposed to represent the government’s decision but is legally opposed to it in this case, so the government is being represented separately.
The dismissal was based on a “lack of trust, one which doesn’t create the space for a productive work environment,” attorney Zion Amir told the High Court during the hearing.
On Thursday, Netanyahu requested to push the dismissal through due to “urgent security matters,” along with what he said was a lack of trust between the two. The High Court refused the request and continued encouraging the sides to reach a compromise.
'Qatargate' affair
The petitioners argued that the decision was not professional but rather political and personal and that it was tainted by the Shin Bet’s investigation of two cases relating to figures close to the prime minister.
The first is the leaked documents case, in which former Netanyahu spokesman Eli Feldstein leaked classified military documents to German daily Bild in an effort to sway public opinion on the hostage negotiations. The second, “Qatargate,” concerns Qatari influences and connections to Feldstein and aides Yonatan Urich and Israel Einhorn to better Qatar’s image in the eyes of the Israeli public.
Bini Aschkenasy and Avraham Bloch contributed to this report.