The Media Line: Israel’s High Court Finds Netanyahu Acted Illegally in Firing Shin Bet Chief

By The Media Line Staff

Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acted unlawfully in seeking to dismiss Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, citing both procedural violations and a conflict of interest tied to an ongoing investigation involving Netanyahu’s close associates.

In a majority opinion, Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit and Justice Daphne Barak-Erez found that the government failed to consult the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee before making the decision, despite the attorney general’s explicit instruction to do so. They also ruled that Bar was denied a formal hearing and that the decision to dismiss him lacked a factual basis.

The court determined that Netanyahu was in a conflict of interest, given that the Shin Bet is playing a role in the Qatargate investigation, which has implicated individuals in the prime minister’s inner circle. “The government violated its own procedures and acted improperly,” the ruling stated.

Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg dissented on whether the court needed to issue a ruling at all, arguing the matter was moot after Bar announced he would step down on June 15. However, Sohlberg acknowledged “significant difficulties” with the dismissal and agreed with the legal analysis concerning the government’s overreach.

The ruling sparked heated political reactions. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir accused the court of being politically motivated, calling the ruling “horribly political.” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said the court had abandoned democracy and should be “dismantled and reassembled.”

In contrast, opposition figures welcomed the decision. Former lawmaker Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, said Netanyahu’s legal entanglements make him unfit to choose a Shin Bet chief, while Labor MK Merav Michaeli urged Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to remove Netanyahu from office.

Bar, who announced his resignation last week, will leave his post in mid-June. The High Court said it would not issue operational orders given the impending resignation but emphasized the legal failures in the firing process.