PM reportedly asked Shin Bet to declare it unsafe for him to testify in criminal trial

Haaretz reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office recently asked the Shin Bet security service to provide a legal opinion against the premier testifying in his criminal trial on security grounds.

With Netanyahu’s scheduled December 2 testimony approaching, he wants the Shin Bet to tell the court that it is not safe for him to be spending long periods of time in the same publicly known location, given concerns of drone and missile attacks from Iranian proxies, Haaretz says.

The Shin Bet rejected the request from Netanyahu’s office, but has begun looking into how it can ensure the premier’s security throughout the trial.

Frustrated by the Shin Bet’s conduct, Netanyahu confidants have been urging him to fire the agency’s head Ronen Bar. The Walla news site reported that the premier considered the move, which Netanyahu’s office vehemently denied.

Notably, Netanyahu rejected calls to step down while on trial, insisting that he is capable of running the country while tending to his personal legal matters at the same time.