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Israel’s top security agency failing to protect PM from protesters, minister accuses

Ronen Bar has also faced significant criticism for Shin Bet’s failure to prevent Hamas’s invasion of southern communities on October 7th. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attacked Shin Bet head Ronen Bar for failing to take measures to protect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as protesters with torches breached the barriers of his residence on Tuesday night.

“Just last week, I warned the Shin Bet chief about the disregard for the prime minister’s security and was rebuffed,” Ben-Gvir said.

“I demand that Shin Bet wake up immediately and take the security of the prime minister of Israel and his family seriously,” he added.

“A situation where thousands of people break into the area of ​​the prime minister’s house and the Shin Bet turns a blind eye is unacceptable,” Ben-Gvir concluded.

Ronen Bar has faced significant criticism for Shin Bet’s failure to prevent Hamas’s invasion of southern communities on October 7th.

Likud MK Tally Gotliv called for heightened security amid assassination threats against Netanyahu.

Gotliv said, “The Shin Bet leadership that failed to protect Rehavam Ze’evi and Yitzhak Rabin and also failed on October 7th should know that there is open incitement to assassinate the prime minister. And don’t say you didn’t know.”

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A senior Shin Bet official said to the police, “The incident could have ended with the police firing on the protesters who broke through the barriers and reached the entrance to the building. Red lines were crossed yesterday.”

A number of ministers called for Ronen Bar’s resignation or dismissal, with Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu saying Bar was “unequivocally guilty” of negligence that led to the October 7th massacre, and after failing to take measures to prevent the protestor’s breach of Netanyahu’s residence, “should leave his position and certainly not appoint people in the image of his failure.”

Eliyahu was referring to a Kan news report that Bar will appoint new security officials in the next few weeks, despite the failure to prevent Hamas from invading southern communities.