Ministers say High Court ruling on Bar’s firing ‘tramples’ on democracy; opposition praises decision

Government ministers take to social media to accuse the High Court of Justice of violating democracy after it rules that the government’s decision to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was made “improperly” and “unlawfully,” while opposition politicians applaud the measure.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin responds that the “only answer to the High Court’s uncontrained frenzy” is to immediately appoint a Shin Bet head, as well as a new Civil Service chief after the court last week ruled that a cabinet resolution from 2024 to appoint one without a competitive process was invalid.

“Once again, the High Court tramples on the government’s explicitly legal authority,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir writes, calling the decision “horribly political,” and accusing Bar of acting against democracy.

“It is good that even without the terrible High Court ruling, the government will soon say goodbye to Ronen Bar,” he says, adding that he hopes that the prime minister will appoint someone more satisfactory.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi says, “The High Court has broken away from democracy and common sense, and must be dismantled and reassembled,” vowing that a new High Court would make rulings only according to the Knesset’s laws.

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan writes that the decision by the court was an obvious move due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal troubles, and that while he is being investigated, he should not be allowed to appoint a Shin Bet head who is “comfortable for him.”

“Israel was born a democracy, and it will remain a democracy.”

Labor MK Merav Michaeli says that in light of the decision, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara should order Netanyahu to be “removed from office,” stating that the ruling, as well as investigations into the Prime Minister’s Office over the Qatargate scandal, should disqualify him from deciding who will be the next Shin Bet chief.