Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter of Likud, a former head of the Shin Bet, explains his vote to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar by pointing at the importance of trust between the prime minister and his counterterrorism chief.
“Unlike an institution that has operational aspects, the Shin Bet also has personal aspects related to the prime minister,” says Dichter, “the Shin Bet chief is responsible for the prime minister’s personal security.”
“In a situation of lack of confidence, there are two options: either the Shin Bet chief resigns, or he is fired. And if he does not resign, then he is fired.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir meanwhile claims Bar is a “direct threat to democracy,” according to Hebrew-language media reports.
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From the Liveblog of
Friday, March 21, 2025
