Commotion As Supreme Court Begins Hearing Shin Bet Chief Dismissal Case

The Supreme Court in Jerusalem on Tuesday began hearing petitions filed against the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet security agency, Ronen Bar, which the government voted on unanimously around two weeks ago.

The discussion, which began at 9:00 am, is being broadcast live before a senior panel, including the Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, Justice Noam Sohlberg, and Justice Daphne Barak-Erez. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is expected to speak for about 45 minutes on Bar’s behalf, and a government representative replacing her is expected to present the case for his dismissal for about an hour and 15 minutes.

Itzik, the father of slain Sergeant Amit Bonzel, who was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, was forcibly removed from the hall by court guards and returned a few minutes later. Tali Gottlieb of the Likud, a member of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, began shouting at the Justice Amit. In response, Amit warned her: “All immunity stops at the entrance to the hall.”

The court took a short break amid the commotion and shouting, with Amit saying that “no court in the world” could be held in such an atmosphere.

The government’s response to the petition argued that Bar’s continued service in his role would constitute an “irreversible damage to the country’s security. Every day of delay in firing Ronen Bar could end in a heavy disaster. Judicial intervention would constitute a national irresponsibility and could cost human lives.”

The government added that “forcing him to continue in office is unacceptable and incompatible with the powers given to a government elected in a democratic country that relies on the security of the state and its citizens. Hence the urgency to proceed.” The government also denied the claims that the dismissals resulted from a Shin Bet investigation of one kind or another, and wrote that “they hold no water.”

This comes after the “Qatar-gate” scandal, in which the Shin Bet opened an investigation into two Netanyahu aides suspected of receiving money from Qatar. Netanyahu began openly calling for Bar’s dismissal about a month after the probe was reported.

The justices noted that the legal issue is not whether the government has the authority to replace the Shin Bet chief, but whether it followed the due process needed to dismiss him.

Bar’s dismissal was frozen by the Supreme Court order until this hearing. However, last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the acting deputy head of the Shin Bet would be appointed as an interim chief of the service at the end of Bar’s term. This is because until a date has been set, it will be impossible to bring a permanent Shin Bet head through the senior appointments committee. This appointment explicitly contradicts the Supreme Court order, although Netanyahu is permitted to interview candidates.