Israeli opposition appeals against intel chief sacking

by Delphine Matthieussent

Israeli opposition parties and a non-governmental organisation launched legal challenges Friday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to sack the internal security agency chief, a move that has deepened divisions in the country.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid's centre-right Yesh Atid party said it had appealed against Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar's dismissal before the Supreme Court of Israel in the name of several opposition movements.

Yesh Atid denounced what it called "a decision based on flagrant conflict of interest".

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel also appealed against what it said was "an unlawful decision... posing a real risk to the national security of the State of Israel".

The NGO was previously very active in the fight against a controversial move by Netanyahu to curb the judiciary's independence.

The reform was seen by opponents as a danger to Israel's democracy and the rule of law, and sparked one of the largest protest movements in Israel's history.

The separate appeals were launched hours after the government moved to dismiss Bar, with Netanyahu previously citing an "ongoing lack of trust" in him.

Netanyahu's office said later the government would meet on Sunday for a no confidence vote on the country's attorney general, a vocal critic of the prime minister.

"We resolve to express our lack of confidence in the government's legal adviser, Gali Baharav-Miara, due to her inappropriate behaviour and due to significant and prolonged differences between the government and the government's legal adviser," said a cabinet meeting agenda published on the office's website on Friday.

Thousands of Israelis braved cold and rainy weather on Thursday night to protest against the moves against Bar and Baharav-Miara outside Israel's parliament and Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem.

- Opposition appeal -

The opposition's appeal was filed in the name of Yesh Atid as well as the National Union party headed by former defence minister Benny Gantz, the leftist Democrats alliance and nationalist party Yisrael Beiteinu.

Their appeal highlights what critics see as the two main reasons Netanyahu moved against Bar, who had joined the agency in 1993.

The first was his criticism of the government over the security failure that allowed Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel to become the deadliest day in the country's history.

The second was what media dubbed "Qatargate" -- an investigation into government members paid by Qatar to promote its image.

The decision to sack Bar came "as Israel's Security Agency is currently investigating the prime minister's close associates... on suspicion of receiving money from entities directly linked to and acting on behalf of the State of Qatar", the opposition's appeal read.

The appeal also mentioned the sacking took place after a Shin Bet investigation highlighting, according to the plaintiffs, "that the political leadership bears responsibility for the October 7 disaster".

- Fault lines -

Netanyahu's move revived deep divisions within Israeli society, with many concerned by what they see as the latest iteration of Netanyahu's autocratic slip.

In a video published Thursday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog deplored the government's "controversial moves" that "deepened divisions" in Israel while it is still at war in the Gaza Strip.

A poll by Israel's Channel 12 television network found that 51 percent of Israelis were opposed to Bar's sacking, while 32 percent supported it.

A plurality of 46 percent says they trust Bar more than Netanyahu.

The crisis comes against the backdrop of new Israeli bombings on Gaza since Tuesday and the reintegration into the government of one of Israel's far-right figures, Itamar Ben Gvir.

Ben Gvir had resigned from his position as national security minister to protest the ceasefire with Hamas that came into effect on January 19.

"It's impossible not to be deeply troubled by the harsh reality unfolding before our eyes," Herzog said on Thursday night.

The president said it was "unthinkable to resume fighting while still pursuing the sacred mission of bringing our hostages home" from Gaza.

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© Agence France-Presse