Israeli Cabinet Supports Netanyahu’s Decision to Remove Security Services Chief

March 21, 2025 TruthUSA

Shin Bet director Ronen Bar was absent from the meeting where the vote on his dismissal took place.

The Israeli cabinet voted on Friday to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to remove the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service amid protests against the move.

“The Government unanimously approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to end Israel Security Agency Director Ronen Bar’s term of office,” Netanyahu’s office stated.

Bar, who has led Shin Bet since 2021, will conclude his duties on April 10. Netanyahu’s office mentioned that his departure could happen sooner if a replacement is found by the government.

Bar did not attend the meeting where the vote on his dismissal occurred. He sent a letter to the cabinet, criticizing the move as being influenced by “institutional conflicts of interest,” according to local media.

In the letter published by the Times of Israel, Bar said the process of his removal “does not comply with the legal provisions and rules concerning the termination of any employee’s tenure, let alone a senior official.”

He stated that the draft resolution calling for his dismissal contained “unfounded claims,” which he alleged were intended to conceal the real motives behind his removal.

Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss Bar followed the security service’s investigation into allegations that the prime minister’s aides were offered bribes by Qatar. Netanyahu stated that he had “ongoing distrust” with Bar, making it challenging to collaborate with the Shin Bet leader.

In his letter, Bar mentioned that a “highly sensitive investigation is currently underway concerning Qatar’s involvement in Israel’s highest decision-making processes, including the Prime Minister’s Office.”

In the last three days, demonstrators against Bar’s dismissal have united with those protesting Israel’s decision to resume fighting in Gaza.

During protests in Tel Aviv and near the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem, police reportedly used water cannons and made multiple arrests as scuffles erupted on Thursday.

Israel has resumed military operations in Gaza two months after reaching a cease-fire deal with the Hamas terrorist group on Jan. 19. Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that he directed the Israel Defense Forces to take “strong action” against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip due to the terror group’s refusal to release the remaining hostages.

Netanyahu pledged that Israel would target Hamas locations across the Gaza Strip with “increased military force” to secure the release of the remaining hostages, both alive and deceased.

Hamas is believed to still be holding 25 hostages and the remains of 30 others. Since early March, Israel has also stopped the entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip.

The Shin Bet recently released a report acknowledging its shortcomings regarding Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,100 people. The terror group also kidnapped 250 hostages during the assault, using them later as bargaining tools.

The security service stated in its report that it underestimated Hamas’s capabilities and criticized the government for disregarding warnings about the threats posed by the terror group.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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