Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism) sent a letter to Shin Bet employees on Tuesday, slamming agency chief Ronen Bar in response to an affidavit Bar submitted the day before.
Bar was fired by the government on March 20 and his termination was set to go into effect on April 10. The Supreme Court, however, froze the termination and allowed Bar to remain in his position as head of the Shin Bet while they examine the legality of the firing.
The affidavit Bar submitted on Monday contained serious accusations against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud). Among the many assertions Bar made in the affidavit were claims that his firing was an effort to block the “Qatargate” investigation, that the prime minister asked him to investigate political opponents (anti-government protest organizers), and that Netanyahu was seeking to postpone his own trial.
With tensions between the government and Shin Bet chief reaching a boiling point, one could argue that Smotrich is demonstrating uncharacteristic responsibility in trying to assure the agency’s rank and file that Bar’s behavior won’t tarnish their standing with the national leadership.
“In recent days, I have had the opportunity to speak with several of you at all ranks and levels,” Smotrich wrote. “I heard deep, widespread frustration about the situation that the Shin Bet has found itself in due to Bar being out of control and the turmoil that he has knowingly dragged the organization into.”
“It is important for me to tell you all: The people of Israel and I, as a citizen, government minister, and member of the security cabinet, have full confidence in you and immense appreciation for your work.”
“I, along with the vast majority of the people of Israel, value your relentless dedication to the state and its security and thank you for it,” he continued.
“Bar’s improper conduct does not tarnish the Shin Bet or, certainly, those of you serving within it. Do not let this storm affect your spirit, even though it comes from someone still clinging to the position of head of the organization. The agency is far greater and more important than the person leading it.”
“Continue your vital work for the security of the state and its people. You have the full backing of the Israeli government and the people of Israel. On this occasion, please extend my appreciation to your spouses, children, and everyone around you who shares the burden of your service.”
The prime minister’s office also released a statement denying most of the claims against Netanyahu in Bar’s affidavit.
“Ronen Bar’s affidavit is riddled with falsehoods and highlights his failures,” the statement read.
“Bar claims that on the night of October 7, he ‘woke up the entire system.’ But he conveniently omits the fact that he did not alert the most critical figures: the prime minister and the defense minister. Had he done so, the massacre might have been prevented.”
“Bar states that he instructed the prime minister’s military secretary to be alerted at 05:15. In reality, his chief of staff only contacted the military secretary at 06:13, just minutes before Hamas launched its attack. At that point, Bar had been in possession of information suggesting a possible attack for more than three hours,” the statement continued.
The statement also addressed claims about when the prime minister made known his intention to remove Bar from his post.
“Without intending to, Bar’s affidavit also supports the government’s claim that plans to dismiss him were already made public in November 2024. This directly contradicts the attorney-general’s assertion that Bar’s firing in February was in response to the launch of the Qatargate investigation.”
“The dismissal was not meant to block an investigation — on the contrary, the investigation was launched in an effort to prevent the dismissal.”
“Contrary to Bar’s false claim, the prime minister never sought to delay his trial. In fact, the prime minister insisted it proceed without any postponement.”
The statement also accused the Shin Bet chief of not taking significant action to suppress violent rhetoric against government ministers – including Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“The head of the Shin Bet failed miserably to address the incitement directed at Israel’s political leadership, including threats to assassinate the prime minister and incitement against government ministers.”
“Bar failed to prevent violent protesters from launching flares at the prime minister’s residence in Caesarea — an incident that nearly killed a security guard and ignited the home.”
“Throughout government and cabinet meetings, the prime minister and ministers repeatedly expressed concern that no enforcement action was being taken against the incitement and violence targeting them and their families. At no point did they call for illegal measures—only for equal enforcement under the law, which has yet to materialize.”
One of the interesting accusations Bar’s affidavit made against the prime minister is that he had asked the Shin Bet chief to deploy his agency’s surveillance tools against the leaders of the protest movement that fought to block the government’s judicial reform legislation.
Netanyahu’s critics have argued that such a request disregards the Shin Bet’s own criteria for deploying its powers as it would disrupt the balance between preventing subversion and upholding the rights to protest and free expression.
But these arguments fall flat in the face of the fact that the agency’s “Jewish department” has a long and ugly history of monitoring and acting against Israeli citizens who’ve organized non-violent actions against governments that have submitted to American pressure to destroy Jewish communities and surrender territory. So claims that a request for the Shin Bet to monitor anti-government protest leaders is somehow beyond the pale of acceptable behavior reeks of hypocrisy when made by those who generally express support for Shin Bet actions against West Bank Jewish organizers.
Furthermore, there was ample evidence that the anti-government protest movement was at least partially financed and directed by the United States. A domestic protest movement seeking to take down the government while receiving material support from a foreign power certainly warrants some kind of action by an agency responsible for the nation’s security.
Another question we have to ask ourselves is why Israel’s Supreme Court has protected Bar in such a way that only strengthens the claims of those who suspect the judicial establishment of collaborating with Bar to topple Netanyahu’s coalition.
These suspicions have now been exacerbated by Bar’s affidavit accusing Netanyahu of telling him outright that, in the event of a conflict between the judiciary and the government, he expects the Shin Bet chief to obey the prime minister and not the court.
While many opponents of the government are portraying these instructions as criminal behavior on the part of Netanyahu, the truth is that, according to Israeli law, the head of the Shin Bet reports directly to the prime minister. And in the case of a conflict between a democratically elected government and an unelected judiciary, citizens of a democratic state should expect their security agencies to be more loyal – even if only slightly – to the people’s representatives than to an elitist judicial establishment.
The real issue here is that both the Supreme Court and the Shin Bet see themselves as defenders of a very specific vision for the State of Israel that appears to be endangered by the sectors of society who vote for Netanyahu and his coalition partners. From the perspective of Israel’s westernized ruling class, this is a fight for the soul of the nation. By giving important government ministries to “illegitimate” coalition partners who represent a very different vision for Israel’s future, Prime Minister Netanyahu has committed an unthinkable betrayal against Israel’s westernized bourgeoisie.
Like with the judicial reform episode, the contradiction within Israeli society over the very meaning of democracy is being antagonized. If democracy is merely a synonym for westernization, the Shin Bet and judicial establishment should do everything in their power to take down Netanyahu’s government.
But if democracy is actually about empowering people to influence the systems and laws they live under, Ronen Bar should humbly and quietly step down from his post.
