Chief Shin Bet claims that Netanyahu asked him to delay his corruption process. The Israeli prime minister denies the accusation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a commemorative ceremony, at the Yitzhak Nachalat Cemetery in Tel Aviv, on June 18, 2024. Photo source: Shaul Golan / AFP / Profimedia
The chief Shin Bet (Internal Security Service of Israel), Ronen Bar, states in a letter made public on Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked him to produce an opinion that allows the prime minister's appearances to the Court who judges him for corruption, quoted by Agerpres.
“During November 2024, the prime minister asked me on several occasions to give a security notice according to which the security conditions would not allow the continuous conduct of his testimony in his criminal trial,” says Ronen Bar in the letter addressed to the Supreme Court, in order to challenge his dismissal by the Government.
The text was made public by the Prosecutor General of Israel, Gali Baharav-Miara.
“This statement is a fabric of lies,” Netanyahu's office reacted in a statement. “The prime minister discussed with the chief Shin Bet about the means to allow his testimony to the court, taking into account the threats with rockets against Israel and the Prime Minister in particular. The discussion referred to the place of testimony, not that it will take place or not,” adds the statement.
The Prosecutor General of Israel announced on Friday that he concluded the existence of a fundamental defect in the Government's decision to dismiss Shin Bet and that, in addition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in conflict of interest in this case.
“The decision to put an end to the mandate of Chief Shin Bet is fundamentally vitiated by a personal conflict of interest due to the criminal investigations, aiming at his close friends and will lead to the politicization of the position, wrote the Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in a statement.
It contains the detailed opinion that the prosecutor transmitted to the Supreme Court and arguing his conclusions.
The Supreme Court is to be heard on April 8 to examine the appeals filed, especially opposition and Baharav-Miara, against the decision taken by the Government on March 21 to dismiss Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, following the statement of Netanyahu stating that he cannot give him confidence, neither on a professional plane.
Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the director of one of the Israeli Intelligence Services was bribed by Qatar
Netanyahu reproaches Bar especially the failure of the service to prevent or prevent the attack of October 7, 2023 of Hamas. But the opposition and an NGO believes that the Government's decision was mainly dictated by Netanyahu's will to get rid of the head of the service that initiated the investigation in which two prime minister's close arrest, suspected of receiving bribe from Qatar.
