Netanyahu shocked at court’s ruling over Shin Bet leader’s firing

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office called the ruling “puzzling,” because the justices admitted the premier has the authority to fire the head of the Shin Bet.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News Staff

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to freeze the dissmissal of Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, who was recently fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, potentially laying the groundwork for a constitutional crisis.

Some members of Netanyahu’s coalition have hinted that they may ignore a court ruling reversing Bar’s dismissal, citing an Israeli law which specifically permits the premier to fire the intelligence chief.

After a marathon 11-hour hearing, the court accepted a petition from anti-government advocacy groups, which claimed that Bar’s firing was rife with procedural errors and questioned whether Netanyahu had provided sufficient grounds for his dismissal.

The justices also required Netanyahu and his government to continue working with Bar, banning the premier from interviewing candidates to replace him, along with stating he cannot appoint someone to act as interim head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).

The terms of the ruling require both the petitioners and the coalition to submit additional affidavits to the court, with the justices asking the government to provide evidence for why Bar’s termination was justified.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office called the ruling “puzzling,” stressing that the justices “repeatedly emphasized during the discussion that there is no dispute regarding the government’s authority to remove the head of Shin Bet from office.”

Considering the justices’ admission that Netanyahu had the right to fire Bar, the “decision to delay the end of the Shin Bet head’s term by 10 days” is questionable, the statement added.

The ruling was met with pushback from Israeli coalition officials, who said that the court had overstepped its authority.

“Until today, many Israeli citizens lived under the illusion that they live in a democracy — a country where the explicit words of the law hold meaning,” said Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli (Likud) in a media statement.

“Tonight’s unfortunate ruling, under the guise of compromise, strips ministers of their authority and turns the court into the de facto guardian of the Knesset and the government,” he added.

The ruling was welcomed by far-left MK Yair Golan of the Democrats party, who previously called for a civil uprising should Bar be ousted.

Golan said that should Netanyahu’s coalition ignore the court’s decision, he would lead efforts to topple the government.

“Any attempt to bypass the Supreme Court will be met with an unprecedented civil struggle by a determined democratic majority,” Golan said.

“A government that does not obey the law cannot remain in office another day.”

Netanyahu fired Bar from his position in late March, citing a “lack of trust” between the two men that made working together impossible.

Bar has countered that his firing was due to political considerations, with many of his supporters alleging that the so-called “Qatar-gate” investigation into Netanyahu’s aides is the real reason for his dismissal.

Netanyahu’s dismissal of Bar marks the first time that a premier has terminated the tenure of a Shin Bet chief.