The opposition officially filed a request on Tuesday to convene the Knesset plenum for a special session in order to discuss the hostages and incitement against Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Ronen Bar.
The Knesset is currently in recess, and therefore, convening the plenum requires at least 25 signatures of MKs. The signatories may demand a maximum of two items to place on the agenda, neither of which can be legislative in nature. The signatures were collected from members of the four Jewish opposition parties – Yesh Atid, National Unity, Yisrael Beytenu, and the Democrats.
The request came after the leaders of the four parties met to discuss a “series of steps” in the wake of an affidavit filed by Bar on Monday, which included damning charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The titles of the two topics were “The government’s failure in securing the return of all hostages” and “Institutionalized attacks and incitement against the Shin Bet chief and the organization, endangering national security.”
Regarding the former, the MKs wrote, “For 564 days, 59 men and women – both alive and those murdered – have languished in Hamas tunnels in Gaza.”
“The 37th government of Israel, led by MK Netanyahu, under whose watch the greatest disaster to the Jewish people since the Holocaust occurred, has failed miserably in securing the return of the hostages, despite declaring their return as a central goal of the war,” the MKs wrote.
“Despite the dire and critical condition of the hostages, the tangible and real danger to their lives in captivity, and the distress of their families, senior government ministers explicitly stated that their return was not the most important, supreme, and urgent mission.
“Furthermore, the prime minister admitted in his latest statement to the media that he has failed in bringing back the hostages. Unfortunately, members of the security cabinet and senior government officials continue to make disgraceful statements that harm the hostages and their families, even as footage of the hostages in captivity is published. The physical and mental condition of the hostages left behind is deteriorating to the point of life-threatening danger,” the MKs wrote.
“We see it as an urgent necessity to hold a discussion in which the government stands before the Knesset and the public to clarify its position on the matter of the hostages’ return and the actions it is taking in this regard,” they said.
MKs write about incitement against Bar
Regarding the incitement against Bar, the MKs wrote, “With the publication of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar’s affidavit, a troubling and unprecedented picture emerges regarding the prime minister’s conduct prior to the events of October 7 and throughout the war.”
“The affidavit suggests that the prime minister may have crossed red lines, attempting to use the Shin Bet as a tool for targeting and persecuting citizens exercising their democratic right to protest.
“Furthermore, according to the concerning affidavit and its published excerpts, the prime minister instructed the Shin Bet chief to disregard the law and the High Court of Justice during a constitutional crisis – a dangerous act in and of itself,” the MKs added.
“Additionally, it appears that relations between the government and the Shin Bet deteriorated once the prime minister’s demand for personal loyalty, rather than national loyalty, was not met. These actions, among others, have led to unprecedented attacks and incitement by government and coalition members, fueling conspiracy theories by public officials that harm the Shin Bet as an organization, thereby jeopardizing Israel’s security,” the MKs wrote.
“While it is undeniable that the Shin Bet chief shares responsibility for the failures of October 7 alongside the prime minister, the government, and all security systems, the aforementioned claims raise serious concerns about the prime minister’s conduct and judgment regarding his responsibility for the state’s and the public’s welfare.
“The prime minister is deeply entangled in crises with the security and judicial systems, among others, threatening societal order in Israel,” they continued.
"[This] underscores the urgent need to extricate the country from the severe crisis at all levels, particularly the security crisis we are currently facing.
“Unfortunately, foreign, personal, and political considerations have infiltrated the sanctum of the Israeli government – the Prime Minister’s Office. Some matters are under investigation, others are now being revealed, but ultimately, a grim and dangerous picture is emerging that severely undermines public trust,” the MKs wrote.