The State submitted its response to the Supreme Court on the petitions against the dismissal of Shin Bet (ISA) chief Ronen Bar in which it argued that preventing the firing of Bar could harm national security.
The response stated that this was a legal, reasonable decision which is of national importance at the present time.
According to the State, there is a serious crisis of trust between the head of the Shin Bet and the political echelon at a level of severity that does not allow for the continuation of proper work. "There is no possibility of continuing effective work for the security of the state with a security body headed by a person who does not enjoy the trust of the body in charge of him," it was claimed.
It was further noted that forcing the head of the Shin Bet to remain in his position "is unacceptable and is not consistent with the powers granted to an elected government in a democratic country."
According to the State, any delay in appointing a new Shin Bet head constitutes a clear danger to national security.
The State added that there is no connection between the decision and any criminal investigation: "There is no basis for the claim that the government's decision is based on an investigation. The investigation is being conducted by the Israel Police and is not affected by the current move."
At the end of its response, the government warned against attempting to use legal tools to force personal trust: "The law cannot force a prime minister to trust a person. Forcing the head of the Shin Bet to remain in office will formally keep him in office, but will not be able to enforce proper and correct conduct between a government and the head of a security agency."