From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 24, 2025
Ben Gvir says Shin Bet chief Bar ‘should sit in prison,’ claims he ‘conspired’ against democracy
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar collected intelligence on Police Commissioner Daniel Levy and “should sit in prison,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir alleges, accusing the senior security official of having “conspired” against Israeli democracy.
“Ronen Bar conspired against the democratic state, he ordered the collection of incriminating information against a government minister, he is a criminal, a danger to democracy, he belongs in prison,” Ben Gvir tells reporters ahead of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.
Bar’s alleged actions sought to undermine senior appointments made by Ben Gvir, actions which constitute an attack on “every one of my voters” and the Israeli right, Ben Gvir alleges.
“No so-called Kahanistic element was appointed or infiltrated the Israel Police,” Ben Gvir insists. “All of my appointments were of veteran, respected, and senior officers from within the police force.”
“I do not intend to remain silent about these things. I intend to demand that the prime minister immediately establish a government investigation committee to investigate the attempted coup and the criminal conduct of the Shin Bet head.”
Ben Gvir’s comments come after Channel 12 news reported that the Shin Bet conducted a covert probe into the possible infiltration of extreme-right elements into the Israel Police following suspected political meddling in the force by Ben Gvir’s office. The Shin Bet security agency initially seemed to confirm it was examining the concerns but later issued a denial.
On Friday morning, the cabinet voted unanimously to dismiss Bar, the first time in Israeli history that the government has fired the head of the domestic security agency. Netanyahu told the cabinet in a meeting that started late Thursday night that he lost faith in Bar after October 7, although critics allege that Bar is being dismissed over a Shin Bet investigation into Qatari influence in the premier’s office.
Asked by a reporter what the government would do if the High Court of Justice, which issued a temporary injunction preventing Bar’s dismissal, rules against his firing, Ben Gvir replies that the court cannot leave Bar in charge of the Shin Bet and alleges that he was working to bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It’s no longer a question of impeachment, Ronen Bar should sit in prison” on suspicion of looking to carry out “a coup d’état,” he insists.
Meanwhile, the far-right Ben Gvir called the development an “earthquake” that he said justified the government’s recent move to dismiss agency chief Ronen Bar.
Speaking with the right-wing Arutz Sheva news site ahead of Monday afternoon’s meeting, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a member of Ben Gvir’s party, says that Bar needs to be interrogated to find out “whether he had attempted to launch a coup.”
The Times of Israel Community.