From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
High Court suspends Bar hearing after lengthy interruption from bereaved father
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
Supreme Court President Isaac Amit calls a break in the hearing over petitions against the firing of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, after repeated interruptions, including a lengthy speech by a father, Itzik Bontzel, whose son died during the current war with Hamas.
Bontzel denounces the court for hearing the petitions, saying that Bar’s hands “are dripping in blood” and that since he took responsibility for the failure to foresee the October 7 attacks, there is no reason to even discuss the petitions, asking the court to reverse his dismissal.
עימות בתוך אולם בג"ץ שדן בהדחת ראש השב"כ בין המשפחות השכולות לראשי מערכת הביטחון לשעבר: "באתם להגן על מי שפשע ב7 באוקטובר. בושה בושה, אין לכם סמכות" pic.twitter.com/Za62TnQsLm
— חזקי ברוך (@HezkeiB) April 8, 2025
Guards are seen pulling Bontzel out of the room.
Supreme Court President Isaac Amit consults with Justice Daphne Barak Erez for several minutes as Bontzel yells criticism of the court, and then announces that judges will take a break, after which they will lay out rules for the hearing.
Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen is escorted from the courtroom amid the shouting.
ראש השבכ לשעבר, יורם כהן, יוצא מבית המשפט מלווה במאבטחים. איזו בושה. תתביישו לכם תומכי נתניהו pic.twitter.com/0xWGPiESN6
— aviad glickman (@aviadglickman) April 8, 2025
And security guards clear the courtroom.
בג״ץ רונן בר: המאבטחים מוציאים את הקהל מהאולם – ביניהם גם רוני אלשיך pic.twitter.com/bEgl4rWaZu
— Bini Aschkenasy ביני אשכנזי (@BiniAshcknasy) April 8, 2025
“No court in the world can be run like this,” says Amit.
The Times of Israel Community.