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Tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar are not new. Even before the war, during the protests against the judicial overhaul, members of Netanyahu’s coalition repeatedly criticized Bar. Throughout the war, these clashes intensified, though Netanyahu himself rarely attacked Bar directly—most of the criticism came from his allies or party members. However, everything changed after Netanyahu returned from his visit with U.S. President Donald Trump and after the decision to open an investigation into the "Qatar-Gate" affair.
Following Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump last month, a senior Israeli official stated that the two discussed "the deep state in Israel" and "the absurdity of dragging the prime minister to court three times a week while he is managing a war that is reshaping the Middle East." Since that meeting, discourse around the judiciary and the "deep state" has intensified within Netanyahu’s circle.
The notice regarding Bar’s dismissal came after Justice Minister Yariv Levin officially declared his intention to remove Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara from office. Baharav-Miara responded yesterday, stating that Netanyahu does not have the authority to fire the head of the Shin Bet. Meanwhile, in the United States, Trump has been conducting a series of purges within his administration without regard for judicial oversight.
Among his controversial appointments, Trump named a journalist known for "trolling liberals" as deputy director of the FBI. The newly appointed head of the agency also has no prior experience in the FBI. Additionally, as part of an effort to replace federal employees with his loyalists, Trump initiated a massive voluntary retirement program within the CIA. After courts ruled that some of his dismissals and executive orders were unlawful, Trump vowed to appeal the rulings and attacked the judges alongside billionaire Elon Musk and his vice president, J.D. Vance, stating, "They have no right to interfere. Shameful."
Netanyahu appears to have embraced some of these ideas since returning from the U.S. He is expected to travel soon to another country whose leader has been accused of promoting authoritarian policies—Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The tensions between Netanyahu’s coalition and Bar are not new. However, in most cases, Netanyahu sought—at least outwardly—to remain above the fray. On August 7, 2023, after coalition lawmakers, including Tali Gottlieb and Limor Son Har-Melech, accused the Shin Bet leadership of being influenced by left-wing ideology, Netanyahu spoke with Bar and issued a statement backing him and the agency’s work in protecting Israeli citizens around the clock.
In January 2024, three months after the October 7 attack, Bar called for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, stating, "The public is desperate for it, and the Shin Bet is desperate for it. This will put an end to all the lies and conspiracies." During a cabinet meeting that month, Minister Miri Regev confronted him, asking whether claims made by Gottlieb regarding activist Shikma Bressler were true. "That is a lie," Bar responded. Knesset Member Chili Tropper urged Netanyahu to denounce Gottlieb’s accusations, which he did—but immediately added, "I didn’t hear you asking for a condemnation when she spoke against me, so let’s not be selective."
In March 2024, then-National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Minister David Amsalem criticized Bar during a cabinet meeting, alleging that threats against the prime minister were increasing and that the Shin Bet was not doing enough to protect him.
On May 6, 2024, Netanyahu attempted to block Bar’s appointments for new Shin Bet division heads, claiming he wanted to review them in depth. That same week, during a discussion on expanding operations in Rafah, a heated confrontation broke out between Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Netanyahu was furious when Bar remarked, "We held discussions with the defense minister, taking all sectors and considerations into account." Netanyahu shot back, "What?! You’re holding strategic discussions with the defense minister?" to which Bar responded, "What kind of question is that? Of course." Netanyahu retorted, "As far as I remember, the Shin Bet and Mossad report to the prime minister."
The major turning point came after Netanyahu’s return from the U.S. and the announcement of the Qatar-Gate investigation. On February 9, 2024, Bar requested to attend a cabinet meeting discussing the investigation into the October 7 attacks but was denied, with the explanation that security agency heads had not been invited.
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A week later, the Shin Bet officially announced it was examining possible connections between Netanyahu’s office and Qatar, a country that funds Hamas. The Prime Minister’s Office swiftly condemned the move, calling it "a scandalous response by the Shin Bet, which did not investigate Gilad Kariv’s severe leak from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, nor the Fifth Dimension affair. The Shin Bet’s so-called ‘investigation’ into an invented and false claim against the Prime Minister’s Office is now being carried out only to prevent the presentation of the agency’s findings on its failures regarding October 7, which it has been asked to submit but has yet to do."
With tensions escalating, Netanyahu's decision to fire Ronen Bar appears to be the latest move in a broader political battle over the country’s security and judiciary.