Israel: Netanyahu accuses Shin Bet chief of lying in court filing
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's domestic security agency the Shin Bet, of lying to the country's top court late on Sunday, and of trying to evade responsibility for security failures that led to the 7 October attacks on southern Israel.
In a 13-page court filing defending his March decision to remove Bar as Shin Bet chief, the prime minister sought to push back against stunning allegations that were made against the premier in a submission made to Israel's Supreme Court last week.
Netanyahu accused Bar of lying about security warnings being presented to him ahead of the 7 October attacks, as well as Bar's testimony in Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial and the Shin Bet's response to protests against the premier.
"Bar's blindness is the greatest intelligence failure in the history of the State of Israel," Netanyahu's affidavit said.
The affidavit comes as part of a case launched by Israeli opposition parties and watchdogs against Netanyahu's decision to oust Bar.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
In the affidavit, Netanyahu rejected Bar's claim that he was trying to postpone his corruption trial where he is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, and stands accused of providing wealthy supporters with regulatory favours in exchange for illicit gifts and favourable media coverage.
"Ronen Bar lied when he said that I asked to prevent my testimony in the trial, that's his interpretation," Netanyahu's affidavit said.
'Ronen Bar has failed, a huge failure that has cost many lives, and is trying to evade responsibility with a pile of lies'
- Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu also rejected Bar's claims that he was asked to spy on Israeli protest leaders, calling it "a complete lie", adding that he was concerned only about instances of violence and harassment of public figures.
"Bar's attempt to present himself as someone who was forced to exercise the powers of the Shin Bet on innocent people and to deprive him of his independence in the events that took place in 2023 is a complete lie," Netanyahu's affidavit said.
After the affidavit was submitted, Netanyahu wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Bar is "trying to cover up the greatest intelligence failure in the history of the state, and has submitted an affidavit full of lies."
"The documents and stenograms of his words shatter the lie," Netanyahu wrote, referring to the confidential quotes of the Shin Bet chief that were attached to the prime minister's affidavit.
"The public sees the truth. Ronen Bar has failed, a huge failure that has cost many lives, and is trying to evade responsibility with a pile of lies, which are shattered in the face of the documented truth," he added.
'Full of inaccuracies'
Hours after the affidavit was released, Bar rejected the allegations and claimed it was "full of inaccuracies, partial quotes and half-truths aimed at taking things out of context and changing reality."
Last week, Bar said the decision to dismiss him stemmed from "an expectation of personal loyalty on my part to the prime minister".
He added that the prime minister asked him to act against anti-government demonstrations, which is contrary to the organisation's authority.
According to Bar, Netanyahu demanded that he "provide details regarding the identities of Israeli citizens, protest activists," that participate in those demonstrations.
In addition, Bar said that regarding Netanyahu's criminal trial, "the prime minister pressured me, in an unusual and repeated manner," in order not to "allow for the conduct of the trial".
Bar's affidavit followed a fiercely public debate in Israel about Netanyahu's conduct as prime minister.
Yossi Verter of Haaretz wrote that Bar's remarks "highlight yet again that Benjamin Netanyahu is an immediate danger to Israeli democracy, statehood, norms of integrity and fairness - and to Zionism itself.
"Bar described a dystopian situation in which the prime minister is acting like a dictator or the head of a criminal organisation," added Verter.
Now, after the submission of the affidavits filed by Netanyahu and Bar, the Supreme Court is expected to continue to debate on the issue of petition.
"This petition is intended to prevent Netanyahu from ousting the head of the Shin Bet," Eran Etzion, the former deputy head of the National Security Council, wrote on X.
According to Etzion, Netanyahu, in his attempt to take over the Shin Bet, is acting "against democracy, against state institutions, and against the majority of the Israeli public, which opposes the continuation of Netanyahu and his government ruling.
"The role of the Supreme Court is to debate and decide, and in no way evade its historical responsibility, or to search for a rotten compromise that will allow Netanyahu to continue to carry out his plot," Etzion added.
Zion Amir, the private lawyer representing Netanyahu in the petition, said this morning that "it's a shame that Ronen Bar has ingrained himself in his positions. We have golden evidence which can dismantle his claims, that has not yet been published."
"There is no reality that the Supreme Court will keep Bar in his position. If that happens, I see constitutional chaos," Amir added
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
