Netanyahu’s cabinet votes unanimously to fire Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, moves up his last day in post to April 10

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet unanimously votes in favor of dismissing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, the premier’s office announces.

Bar’s final day will be April 10, with the government moving up his dismissal after initially scheduling it for April 20, though Netanyahu’s office says Bar could be gone before then if ministers approve a permanent replacement.

The vote marks the first time in Israel’s history that a government has fired the Shin Bet’s leader.

The meeting to approve his dismissal lasted some three-and-a-half hours.

Bar did not attend, but sent a letter saying that firing him was “entirely tainted by conflicts of interest,” and constituted a “fundamentally invalid” attempt to undermine the Shin Bet as it probes Qatar’s influence at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, who was present, again expressed her opposition to the move. Her office had told Netanyahu earlier in the day that the government must obtain a recommendation from an advisory committee before weighing Bar’s dismissal.