Israel Briefing Day 528: Netanyahu fires Shin Bet chief in unprecedented move

1. Netanyahu fires Bar
Netanyahu made his announcement last night around the time of primetime news shows. He cited a “continuing lack of confidence” in Bar’s leadership, arguing: “At any time, but especially during such an existential war, the Prime Minister must have complete confidence in the Director of the ISA.” Netanyahu added: “Unfortunately, however, the situation is the opposite: I do not have that confidence.”

2. Bar reacts
Bar insisted that Netanyahu is wrong in his decision. He said: “The duty of loyalty placed on the Shin Bet is first and foremost to Israeli citizens. This underlies all my actions and decisions.” He accused the PM of expecting “a duty of personal loyalty, the purpose of which contradicts the public interest.” Bar also said that Shin Bet’s internal review of October 7 “pointed to a policy led by the government, and the person who has headed it, for years, with emphasis on the year preceding the massacre.”

3. Fury of Knesset opposition
Opposition leader Yair Lapid lambasted Netanyahu, claiming that he was reacting to what he termed “Qatar-Gate,” meaning the investigation into his office’s alleged connections with Qatar: “For a year and a half, he saw no reason to fire him, but only when the investigation into Qatar’s infiltration of Netanyahu’s office and the funds transferred to his closest aides began, did he suddenly find it urgent to fire him immediately,” Lapid said. Lapid claimed Netanyahu is prioritising “private interests” over Israel’s security. Lapid said this morning on Channel 12 that “the State of Israel has lost trust in Netanyahu - there is a serious criminal and security investigation, and those being investigated are trying to fire their chief investigator.”

Another important opposition politician, Benny Gantz, warned that “the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief is a direct hit to national security and an act of political and personal division.”

4. Former PM says Bibi must resign
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a rightist but a critic of Netanyahu, reacted by saying that Netanyahu “bears ultimate responsibility for the worst failure in Israel’s history and should have resigned long ago.” He argued that while the defence establishment bears responsibility too, it is facing up to this while Netanyahu is not. Bennett argued on X: “The heads of the IDF, Military Intelligence, and Shin Bet, as well as the defence minister, failed—and they took responsibility. Netanyahu, in contrast, is running from his. The State of Israel will not be able to recover without his resignation.”

5. Netanyahu insists he is not playing politics
Netanyahu insisted his motivation is not political, saying: “As Prime Minister, who is responsible for the Shin Bet, I am convinced that this step is crucial in order to restore the organization, to achieve all of our war objectives, and to prevent the next tragedy.”

6. Top legal voice suggests move may violate law
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara warned that the move “requires a factual and legal foundation” – essentially questioning whether it is legal. While fighting defence officials, Netanyahu’s government has also been locked in a battle with the AG. Two weeks ago, Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced that he is pushing for her firing.

7. Protest leaders say this is part of a pattern
Protest leaders are accusing Netanyahu of trying to solidify his power by targeting the main forces in the country that limit his power, saying that attempts to fire the attorney general and Bar represent a pattern.

8. Context: Bar was already expected to step down
Bar has already decided to resign at the end of the war. More than a year ago, one of his predecessors, Yaakov Perry, said: “I spoke with him directly about what is expected, and I have no doubt that he will be one of the first to hand over the keys.” It was expected that the government would let him take this step in his own time.

In wider political news, Netanyahu foe Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, said yesterday that he will run for prime minister when the next elections take place. He also claimed to have been the only leader to warn “in real time” about the failures that led to the October 7 attack.

In other news, US envoy Steve Witkoff has slammed Hamas for rejecting US proposals and said that the terror group expects to cut a deal without disarming and that is not realistic. His comments come as negotiations move to Cairo, after last week's failed talks in Doha.

Discussing the need for at least some degree of Hamas disarmament in an interview on CBS, Witkoff said: “That must happen. That’s a red line for the Israelis,” he said on CBS. He criticised Hamas for dismissing a US-backed proposal aimed at advancing negotiations: “Hamas came up with their own construct, essentially disavowed what we discussed, and to my mind, that was a pretty poor ending.” He described Hamas’ response as “not encouraging” and warned that any attempt to reach a deal without laying down weapons is going nowhere.

Witkoff insisted that America had put forward “a very sensible proposal” designed to be “a bridge to get to a final discussion and final resolution here,” but Hamas refused to engage constructively. He said Hamas’ rejection of the US plan was a major obstacle to progress: “The recent experience we had with Hamas’ response was not encouraging.”

Gunfire from Lebanon hit a parked car in Avivim, northern Israel, yesterday, in what the IDF says was a violation of the ceasefire with Hezbollah. Meanwhile, an Israeli drone strike killed two Hezbollah operatives. Israeli officials are warning that Hezbollah could spark strong reactions from the IDF if it does not prevent such attacks. In the diplomatic realm, Washington is upping pressure on Lebanon’s government to curb Hezbollah’s financial operations and is pushing for the upcoming change in governor of the country’s central bank to be used to choose a candidate prepared to clamp down on the terror group.

The IDF has disciplined several reservists after they used gunfire in Gaza to mark the reading of Haman’s name in the reading of the Book of Esther for Purim–and videoed the episode. The incident violated military protocol, according to an IDF investigation, which led to a formal reprimand of the company commander. The platoon commander was removed from his position, while nine reservists were expelled from combat service and sentenced to 28 days of confinement on base. Military officials stated that the soldiers’ actions were irresponsible and could have led to further escalation.

In the West Bank, IDF forces uncovered a stockpile of weapons in the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem. Troops found bags filled with weapons and ammunition. Items included a vest marked with the logo of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Israel has long accused Palestinian terror groups of using UN facilities for cover.

Jerusalem’s annual Purim parade took place yesterday, and it was led by former hostage Karina Ariev. She was greeted with cheers as she walked through the city streets. She was released in January as part of a hostage deal negotiated between Israel and Hamas.

Israel’s coalition will face a make-or-break moment on Wednesday. The Knesset will vote on the 2025 state budget, and if it fails to pass, the government is expected to dissolve, forcing new elections.

Israel is set to deploy a new advanced laser interception system developed by Rafael, the defence company behind the Iron Dome. The Iron Beam system will soon be operational, Defence Minister Israel Katz said yesterday. He warned Israel’s enemies: “If they raise a hand against Israel again—that hand will be severed.” The Iron Beam is designed to complement the Iron Dome by using lasers to intercept rockets and drones and do so far cheaper than any missile defence system seen until now.

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