Report: Netanyahu twice asked Shin Bet to act against political opponents

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has twice reportedly asked the Shin Bet to act against political opponents.

The first incident took place in 2014, Israeli reporter Ben Caspit says on 103FM radio.

Netanyahu called then-Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen and told him that he had information that then-security cabinet minister Naftali Bennett had been kicked out of the elite Sayeret Matkal unit. Netanyahu told Cohen to verify if the information was true and revoke Bennett’s security clearance — a move that would have likely ended Bennett’s career. Cohen refused Netanyahu’s request.

Last month, Cohen told Channel 12 that Netanyahu had asked him more than once during his tenure to carry out “illegitimate acts” and voiced concern that the next head of the security agency would not stand up to him in the face of such demands.

A second incident in which Netanyahu asked the Shin Bet to intervene in political affairs came in 2019, according to Caspit. It was the eve of the Knesset election and Netanyahu realized his right-wing bloc would not have enough seats to form a coalition due to the strong performance by then-Blue and White party chair Benny Gantz.

Netanyahu phoned then-Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman and demanded that he declare Gantz unfit to be prime minister due to reports that the Blue and White chief’s phone had been allegedly hacked by Iranian operatives. Argaman refused, Caspit says.