Israel braced for mass protests over Netanyahu bid to dismiss intelligence chief

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Activists and the Israeli political opposition are calling for mass protests after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to fire Ronen Bar, chief of Israel’s internal security service the Shin Bet, an unprecedented move that has shocked the country as it buckles under the strain of the Gaza war.

Mr Netanyahu said on Sunday evening that he has a “continuing lack of confidence” in Mr Bar and “distrust that only grew with time”. Israel’s Cabinet will meet on Wednesday to vote on his dismissal.

Mr Bar indicated soon after that he would resist moves to fire him, saying his loyalty is “first and foremost to the citizens of Israel” and that the Prime Minister’s “expectation of a personal loyalty contradicts the public interest and is fundamentally flawed”.

The attack on Mr Bar drew swift and intense condemnation from opposition politicians, senior officials and civil society leaders, who flocked to his support, saying the move was illegal and a serious threat to the country’s future. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said heads of political parties are petitioning the country’s high court to prevent the dismissal, which he described as a “reckless act”. The move follows the attorney general saying shortly after the news broke that Mr Bar's dismissal was not possible before the completion of a legal examination.

Protest leaders are planning demonstrations in Jerusalem on Wednesday outside government offices. The route is set to end at Mr Netanyahu’s official residence where leaders say they plan to establish a tent camp.

Despite the intense opposition, government ministers have widely welcomed the move, exposing once again divisions between Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition and other parts of the Israeli establishment, the former often accusing security and judicial heads of being anti-democratic and biased against the political right.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said it was a “necessary step”. Former national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the planned dismissal was “better late than never”.

Critics of Mr Netanyahu’s shock decision say it is an attempt to block a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, an investigation Mr Bar is reportedly in favour of along with many senior Israelis. Opponents also claim it hinder the agency’s investigations into a mounting scandal over allegations that members of Mr Netanyahu’s team received payments from Qatar during the Gaza war.

While the Shin Bet, the main agency responsible for spying on Hamas, recently released an investigation into the October 7 attacks and the military has released specific investigations about areas of battle on the day, the government is yet to approve a state commission of inquiry, which would take a far broader look at security failures and have the power to summon people to testify, including Mr Netanyahu, who is already embroiled in a corruption case.

Who resigned and who stayed after October 7?

Since the early days of the war, some military and intelligence leaders, including Mr Bar, have taken responsibility for failing to stop the attacks. Mr Netanyahu is widely accused of deflecting blame, even as senior personnel have resigned.

Military chief of staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, the country’s most senior officer during the 2023 attacks, resigned in January, to be replaced by Lt Gen Eyal Zamir. In a statement, Lt Gen Halevi said the military had failed in its “primary mission” on October 7. “I have borne the consequences of that terrible day ever since and will carry them with me for the rest of my life,” he added.

Maj Gen Yaron Finkelman announced his intended resignation as head of Southern Command at the same time as Mr Halevi’s. “On October 7, I failed in my duty to protect the Western Negev and its beloved, heroic residents. This failure is seared within me for life,” he wrote in a resignation letter. He was replaced by Maj Gen Yaniv Asor.

Maj Gen Aharon Haliva became the first senior officer to resign over the attacks in April 2024, and was replaced as head of military intelligence by Maj Gen Shlomi Binder. “We failed in our most important mission and as the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, I bear full responsibility for the failure,” he said.

Other senior defence officials to have left their positions include military spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, who was replaced by Brig Gen Effie Defrin. Mr Hagari, a much-respected face of Israel’s war effort, particularly regarding the issue of hostages in Gaza, leaves as the new chief of staff assumes his position.

Yoav Gallant, who was replaced as Defence Minister by Israel Katz, was sacked by Mr Netanyahu last November. Mr Gallant, who the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for alongside the Prime minister, was a political enemy of Mr Netanyahu since before the war for his opposition to government plans to radically change the country’s judicial system, despite belonging to the same political party.

Leaders who remain with no apparent indication they plan to resign include the Prime Minister and leaders of Israel’s intelligence agencies, Mr Bar and David Barnea, director of Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad.

Although Mossad received a portion of the blame for the October 7 attacks, it has since impressed Israeli society with a series of remarkable tactical victories in the country’s war effort outside Gaza. They include a pager attack in Lebanon that inflicted a devastating blow on militant group Hezbollah’s command structure and the assassination in Iran of then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.