Netanyahu's move to fire security agency chief threatens new crisis in Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bid to dismiss a top security official has threatened to plunge Israel back into deep political crisis, with opponents on Monday organising protests and a former court president warning against the "dangerous" move.

Netanyahu on Sunday cited an "ongoing lack of trust" as the reason for moving to sack Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet internal security agency, following a similar bid by the government to oust the attorney general.

Bar, who has been engaged in a public spat with Netanyahu in recent weeks over reforms to the agency, suggested there were political motives behind the premier's decision to ask the government to dismiss him.

Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara -- the executive's top legal adviser who has often taken positions that clashed with those of Netanyahu's government -- said the move was "unprecedented" and its legality needed to be assessed.

Netanyahu in turn addressed a letter to Baharav Miara accusing her of attempting "to strip the government of its discretion" in a "dangerous denial of the government's explicit authority".

Shin Bet chief Bar said the bid to remove him stemmed from his own refusal to meet Netanyahu's demands for "personal loyalty".

The agency led by Bar has been accused of failing to prevent the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered war in Gaza.

Several opposition parties have already announced they will jointly petition the High Court against Bar's dismissal, and the attorney general said in a letter to Netanyahu that he could not initiate the process "until the factual and legal foundation of your decision is fully clarified".

Israeli media reports say the Shin Bet was investigating some of Netanyahu's aides for allegedly receiving payments from Qatar, which hosts leaders of Palestinian militant group Hamas, even as the Gaza war raged.

In his response to the attorney general, Netanyahu said that "the intention to end the tenure of the Shin Bet head did not arise in the context of the investigation."

The prime minister claimed that "on the contrary, the 'investigation' emerged after the possibility of ending his tenure was raised and published in the media."

- 'Blow to national security' -

The attorney general is herself under threat of a no-confidence motion submitted by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who has spearheaded efforts to reform the judiciary and curb the court's powers -- a plan that sparked major protests before coming to an abrupt halt with Hamas's 2023 attack.

Levin has accused Baharav Miara, a fierce defender of the judiciary's independence, of "inappropriate conduct" and cited "significant and prolonged disagreements between the government and the attorney general".

The proceeding against the two figures promise to be lengthy, risking a repeat of the 2023 protest movement that was one of the most significant in Israel's history and had deeply fractured the country.

The Movement for Quality Government, an anti-corruption NGO, said it had petitioned the High Court demanding it block the government from meeting to vote on Bar's dismissal.

Several protest groups on Monday announced they were joining rallies in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv this week against the proposed sacking of Bar.

The move to dismiss Bar, who has been involved in negotiations over the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, comes at a crucial time for the talks.

Since the Gaza war began, Netanyahu has dismissed his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, while several senior military officials have resigned including army chief Herzi Halevi.

Benny Gantz, an opposition figure who once served as defence minister under Netanyahu, said on X that "the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet is a direct blow to national security and a dismantling of unity within Israeli society, driven by political and personal considerations."

Former Supreme Court president Dorit Beinisch told Kan public radio that Netanyahu was leading "processes that are dangerous for society".

- 'Power-grab' -

For Netanyahu's allies, the move against Bar falls within the normal rights of the head of government.

"In what normal country is a special reason even needed to remove the head of an intelligence organisation who is personally responsible for a massive intelligence failure that led to the greatest disaster in the history of Israel?" far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on Telegram.

Nahum Barnea, columnist for the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, warned of the dangers stemming from the clash between Netanyahu and Bar.

"A prime minister who has lost his brakes will rule as he sees fit, and his failed government will follow in his wake," he wrote.

Amir Tibon, writing for the left-wing daily Haaretz, said: "Israeli democracy is now in grave danger", describing Netanyahu's move as a "hostile power-grab".