Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, in a message to the Israeli government in response to his dismissal decision, wrote: “A superficial procedure with a predetermined outcome and unfounded claims that only serve as a cover for dubious and illegitimate motives. This aims to hinder the Shin Bet’s ability to carry out its duties impartially in accordance with the law, rather than serve personal interests, and to prevent the truth from being revealed, both regarding the events that led to October 7 and the serious cases that the Shin Bet is currently investigating.” Thus begins the long night of knives in Israel, which sees the head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s most important negotiator for the release of prisoners, at the center of the government discussion that wants to fire him regarding what happened on October 7, 2023.
Recall that Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet, says that he suggested to Netanyahu in May 2023 to launch military operations in Gaza, 5 months before October 7.
The Israeli Army Radio Correspondent on the broadcast states: “Without going into the merits of whether firing the head of the Shin Bet at this time is the right move or not, one thing is absolutely clear: every Israeli citizen should be deeply concerned tonight about this direct confrontation, in the midst of the war, between the head of the Shin Bet and the Israeli government. They should also be concerned about the series of disturbing statements that the head of the Shin Bet warned about in his message.”
Channel 14 also took a look at the issue, and the correspondent stated: “Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar boycotts the cabinet meeting and sends a strongly worded letter to the prime minister. Ultimately, he does not accept the cabinet’s decision and asks the judicial institutions to determine his future.”
At the cabinet meeting, the decision was ultimately changed: Ronen Bar will leave his position within 30 days or when a new Shin Bet chief is appointed. The chairman of the Democratic Party, retired general Yair Golan, said live on TV: “The letter from the Shin Bet chief is an unprecedented accusation. This message should shake every family in Israel because one of the people most responsible for our security is clearly saying: the prime minister’s conduct represents a direct threat to the security of the state.”
Israel Army Radio also states that according to an Israeli government source responsible for the Shin Bet, the government “has completely lost confidence in Ronen Bar, who continues to cling to his position while cynically exploiting the families of the hostages and using his position for illegitimate political purposes to fabricate unfounded investigations.” “Ronen had the opportunity to resign honorably after his enormous failure on October 7, just as the former Chief of Staff did. But he chose not to attend the cabinet meeting to discuss his case, simply because he was afraid of answering questions, especially one crucial question: Why, after learning about the Hamas attack hours before it happened, did he do nothing and not inform the Prime Minister, which could have prevented the disaster?!” “If Ronen Bar had performed his duties as well as he clings to his position, October 7 would not have happened.”
Also the Israeli Army Radio Correspondent: “In this statement, Netanyahu essentially accuses the Shin Bet chief of knowing about the Hamas attack 7-10 hours in advance and doing nothing. Of all Netanyahu’s accusations, this one comes dangerously close to a crazy conspiracy theory.”
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said at the cabinet meeting: “During my tenure, I noticed something strange. Every week, two Shin Bet representatives attend security assessments at the Ministry of National Security. They sit through the entire meeting, but don’t say a word. One day, I turned to one of them and asked: ‘Why don’t you speak? Why don’t you give a briefing or a professional opinion?’ His response shocked me: ‘We were not sent here to speak, only to write down everything you say in the meeting.'”
Itamar Ben Gvir: “The head of a secret security agency is sending representatives to spy on an elected official and monitor him. This person is a direct threat to democracy. This is the same head of the Shin Bet who used to get up and leave from the Cabinet meetings every time I spoke. He does not recognize democracy, the authority of the government or the Prime Minister. He is the greatest threat to democracy.”
Also in the radio debate this comment emerges: “It is time to reveal the truth behind the ridiculous “political source” who somehow still believes that Israeli citizens are stupid and have not yet figured out who this so-called “anonymous political source” is. “Prime Minister Netanyahu hides behind a “political source,” but there is nothing political in his statement. The entire statement is political and conspiratorial. Above all, he openly incites against the entire security apparatus and promotes delusional theories about internal betrayal.”
And the Israeli Army Radio commentator concluded by saying: “It is no longer just about the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet or the mutual loss of trust between Netanyahu and Ronen Bar. We are witnessing a Prime Minister who is using his power and his position to dismantle the Israeli security apparatus. This is a sad night that will forever be remembered with dishonor in the history of the State of Israel.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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