March 21, 2025 (EIRNS)—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet voted unanimously in the early hours of March 21 to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, the premier’s office announced, the Times of Israel reported last night. April 10 has been set as Bar’s last day on the job, but that could come earlier if the Cabinet approves a replacement before then. The move, ToI says, marked the first time in Israeli history that the government has fired the head of the domestic security agency.
The cabinet’s action has ignited an uproar in the country, in the Knesset, where it seems that all of the opposition leaders oppose it, and in the streets where there have been massive protests against both the firing of Bar and the resumption of the bombing campaign in Gaza. Israel’s High Court of Justice today issued a temporary injunction against Bar’s dismissal, stating that the order will remain in place until the court can hear the petitions filed against it, which it said it will do by no later than April 8.
Netanyahu claimed that Bar is “soft” and “not the right person to rehabilitate the organization,” according to his office. “I have been managing diplomatic negotiations for many years,” continued Netanyahu. “He had a soft approach and was not aggressive enough.”
