Star Metro - Israel supreme court freezes PM bid to sack intel chief

The court's decision came after opposition parties and a non-governmental organisation filed separate appeals hours after the government announced its decision to sack Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid's centre-right Yesh Atid party said it had appealed against Bar's dismissal before the Supreme Court of Israel in the name of several opposition movements.

Yesh Atid denounced what it called "a decision based on flagrant conflict of interest".

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel also appealed against what it said was "an unlawful decision... posing a real risk to the national security of the State of Israel".

The NGO was previously very active in the fight against a controversial move by Netanyahu to curb the judiciary's independence.

That proposed reform was seen by opponents as a danger to Israeli democracy and the rule of law, and sparked one of the largest protest movements in the country's history.

Friday's separate legal appeals came hours after the government moved to dismiss Bar, with Netanyahu previously citing an "ongoing lack of trust" in him.

The Shin Bet chief's sacking was to have been effective before April 10. On Friday, he took part in a Gaza situational assessment meeting along with army chief Eyal Zamir, the military said in a statement.

It is the first time in Israel's history that the head of the domestic intelligence agency has been fired.

Netanyahu's office said later on Friday the government would meet on Sunday for a no confidence vote on the attorney general, a vocal critic of the prime minister.

"We resolve to express our lack of confidence in the government's legal adviser, Gali Baharav-Miara, due to her inappropriate behaviour and due to significant and prolonged differences between the government and the government's legal adviser," said a cabinet meeting agenda published on the PM office's website.

Thousands of Israelis braved cold and rainy weather on Thursday night in protest at the moves against Bar and Baharav-Miara, demonstrating outside parliament and Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem.

- Opposition appeal -

The opposition appeal was filed in the name of Yesh Atid, the National Union party headed by former defence minister Benny Gantz, the leftist Democrats alliance and nationalist party Yisrael Beiteinu.

Their appeal highlights what critics see as the two main reasons why Netanyahu moved against Bar, a Shin Bet veteran who joined the agency in 1993.

The first was Bar's criticism of the government over the security failure that allowed Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel to become the deadliest day in the country's history.

The second was what media dubbed "Qatargate" -- an investigation into government members allegedly paid by Qatar to promote its image.

The decision to sack Bar came "as Israel's Security Agency is currently investigating the prime minister's close associates... on suspicion of receiving money from entities directly linked to and acting on behalf of the State of Qatar", the opposition appeal read.

In a letter made public late on Thursday, Bar described his dismissal as motivated by Netanyahu's "personal interests".

Friday's appeal also mentioned that Bar's dismissal took place after a Shin Bet investigation highlighting, according to the plaintiffs, "that the political leadership bears responsibility for the October 7 disaster".

- Fault lines -

Netanyahu decision revived deep divisions within Israel, with many people concerned by what they see as his latest autocratic move.

In a video published Thursday, President Isaac Herzog deplored the government's "controversial moves" that "deepened divisions" while Israel is still at war in the Gaza Strip.

A poll by the Channel 12 television network found that 51 percent of Israelis opposed Bar's sacking, while 32 percent supported it.

A plurality of 46 percent says they trust Bar more than Netanyahu.

The crisis comes against the backdrop of new Israeli attacks on Gaza since Tuesday and the reintegration into the government of one of Israel's far-right figures, Itamar Ben Gvir.

He had resigned as national security minister in protest against the ceasefire with Hamas that took effect on January 19.

"It's impossible not to be deeply troubled by the harsh reality unfolding before our eyes," Herzog said on Thursday night.

He said it was "unthinkable to resume fighting while still pursuing the sacred mission of bringing our hostages home" from Gaza.

L.Pelletier--SMC