Bar says firing him a ‘fundamentally invalid’ attempt to undermine Shin Bet as it probes Qatar’s influence on PM’s office

In a scathing letter to cabinet ministers explaining why he won’t attend the meeting tonight in which they vote on his dismissal, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar blasts the government’s “unfounded claims that are nothing more than a cover for completely different, extraneous and fundamentally invalid motives designed to disrupt the ability of the Shin Bet to fulfill its role.”

He warns that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is taking steps that weaken the country “both internally and against its enemies.”

Bar pushes back on the idea that there is a breakdown in trust between him and Netanyahu, which the premier presented as a central reason to replace his spy chief.

“There has been intensive and effective cooperation between the Shin Bet under my leadership and the Prime Minister, which is leading to significant results in thwarting terrorism,” Bar writes.

Backing up his claim, Bar says that the recent hostage release deal with Hamas came about because of a “unique action that I personally led, with the knowledge of the Prime Minister.”

Bar says there is no basis for Netanyahu’s insistence that there is no trust between them, “except if the real intention, which I apparently failed to understand, was to negotiate without reaching a deal.”

He adds that Netanyahu’s decision to remove him and Mossad chief David Barnea from the hostage negotiations “harmed the team and did not advance the release at all.”

Turning to “Qatargate” – what Bar calls the “ongoing complex, extensive, and highly sensitive investigation currently underway into Qatar’s involvement in the heart of Israeli decision-making, the Prime Minister’s Office” — the Shin Bet chief says that completing the investigation in full is “a public duty of the highest order.”

Dismissing the Shin Bet head during the investigation, Bar argues, is tainted with “extraneous considerations and a personal and institutional conflict of interest that could not be more serious.” It risks jeopardizing the investigation, he says, which is a danger to the country’s security.

He also pushes for a state commission of inquiry into October 7: “The urgent national need for such an investigation cannot be subordinated to the personal considerations of those involved in the matter, as it is the only way to ensure that such a multi-system failure will not occur again.”

Bar says the government meeting tonight was convened in contradiction of Israel’s laws and against the attorney general’s position.

“My decision not to attend the government meeting stems solely from my understanding that this is a discussion that is not in accordance with the provisions of the law and the rules concerning the termination of the term of office of any employee, let alone one holding a senior position, and the position of head of the Shin Bet in particular,” he explains.

“A substantive response to such claims requires an orderly process, including the presentation of relevant documents, and not a seemingly premeditated process whose outcome is predetermined,” says Bar.