Israeli Supreme Court freezes Netanyahu's decision to sack intelligence agency chief

Tel Aviv: Israel’s Supreme Court has temporarily halted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss Ronen Bar, the head of the country’s Shin Bet internal security agency, according to reports.

The court’s interim ruling comes after legal challenges were filed against Bar’s removal, questioning the legality and implications of the decision.

The Supreme Court’s decision came hours after Netanyahu’s Cabinet unanimously approved his request to fire the head of the Shin Bet internal security service, Ronen Bar.

The court said it was delaying the firing until an appeal could be heard no later than April 8. Netanyahu’s office had said Bar’s dismissal was effective April 10, but that it could come earlier if a replacement was found.

Israel’s attorney general has ruled that the Cabinet has no legal basis to dismiss Bar.

A Shin Bet report into Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that prompted the war acknowledged failures by the security agency. But it also said policies by Netanyahu’s government created the conditions for the attack. AP