Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is attempting to block the move by the Prime Minister to dismiss Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar.
"You cannot dismiss the head of the Shin Bet until the factual and legal basis for your decision is thoroughly investigated and your ability to deal with the issue at this time is clarified," Baharav-Miara argued in a letter she sent to the Prime Minister on Sunday evening.
She also provided reasoning for her position, writing, "This is due to the extraordinary sensitivity of the matter, its unprecedented nature, the concern that the process is tainted by illegality and conflicts of interest, and given the fact that the role of the head of the Israel Security Agency is not a personal position of trust under the Prime Minister."
Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir responded, "Since the Attorney General herself is in the midst of her own dismissal process, it might be worth reminding her that 'conflict of interest' also applies to her actions, which are antagonistic to the government and its leader. It is time to put an end to the rule of the deep state, and first and foremost, to expedite the dismissal of the Attorney General."
Earlier on Sunday, a diplomatic source sharply criticized the remarks made by Bar in response to the Prime Minister's announcement of his decision to dismiss him.
"The outgoing Shin Bet chief seems confused about who is subordinate to whom. The lack of trust by the Prime Minister in the Shin Bet chief is not a personal matter but a distinctly public one, and the Shin Bet chief's clinging to his position harms the Shin Bet and national security. If anyone had doubts about the essential need to remove the Shin Bet chief from his position, they have now received the final answer with his anti-democratic response, in which he claims that he, and not the government, will determine when he ends his tenure," the source said.
The source added, "This is also how, on the night of October 7, he decided whom not to wake up and whom not to summon. The Shin Bet chief repeats the lie that he warned the political echelon of a Hamas attack, while the protocols prove the exact opposite: on October 1, 2023, seven days before the massacre, the Shin Bet chief said that Hamas was deterred and that economic benefits should be granted to it to maintain calm. The Shin Bet chief reiterated these claims three days before the massacre."
Bar had clarified in response to the Prime Minister's announcement of his dismissal that he has no intention of leaving his position.
"As someone who led the Shin Bet on October 7, I took responsibility for the agency's role and stated clearly that I intend to fulfill that responsibility before the end of my term, as should have been expected of everyone. Therefore, it is clear that the intention behind my dismissal is not related to October 7. The Prime Minister clarified that the decision stems from his claim of a persistent lack of trust between us."
"Under my leadership, the Shin Bet conducted a thorough investigation that identified intelligence failures and internal processes on October 7, the correction of which has already begun. Alongside this, the investigation pointed to a policy pursued over years, with an emphasis on the year preceding the massacre, by the government and its leader. The investigation highlights a long and deliberate disregard by the political echelon of the organization's warnings," Bar added.
He argued, "The need to investigate all elements, including the government's and the Prime Minister's policies, and not just the IDF and Shin Bet, which thoroughly investigated themselves, is essential for the sake of public security. If I do not insist on this, despite all the personal prices I will pay, I will be failing in my duty to ensure national security. The pursuit of truth is a supreme value in the Shin Bet, and the public has the right to know what led to the massacre and the collapse of Israel's security doctrine."
He declared that he has no intention of leaving the position. "My public responsibility is the basis for my decision to continue in my role in the near future, particularly in light of the potential for escalation, heightened security tensions, and the real possibility of a return to fighting in the Gaza Strip, where the Shin Bet plays a central role."
