Israel’s Supreme Court issued an injunction on Friday, temporarily blocking the firing of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar as protests broke out for a fourth day in a row.
Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that he had lost confidence in Bar and would fire him. The action set off mass protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with Netanyahu’s critics charging that he was trying to undermine main state institutions.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="383px" width="682px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="1080px" width="1920px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="336px" width="596px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="168px" width="300px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
“I am seeing the end of Israel that we knew,” protester Uri Arnin outside Netanyahu’s home said. “We are very concerned that these are the last days of Israel as a democracy.”
In spite of increasing protests, Netanyahu, supported by a stable parliamentary majority and the return of hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has shown no signs of budging. The scandal does, however, highlight deep Israeli society rifts since Netanyahu came back to office in late 2022.
Tensions Over Security Failures and Corruption Allegations
Bar’s firing is part of long-standing tensions between Netanyahu’s allies and parts of the security establishment, exacerbated by blame over the intelligence failures that resulted in Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack the worst security failure in Israel’s history.
Bar had earlier pledged to resign ahead of his term, owning up to Shin Bet’s failures. Nonetheless, in a letter to the government, he declared his dismissal as “baseless” and hinted at ulterior motives of a political nature, especially after a probe into bribery allegations involving Qatar and Netanyahu’s aides.
Judiciary Clashes and Renewed Gaza Offensive
The ruling of the Supreme Court gives time to consider petitions against the firing of Bar, with a verdict due by April 8. In the meantime, Israeli television channel Kan said that a no-confidence motion against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara will be on the agenda of Sunday’s cabinet meeting.
To the unrest, protests have been joined by demonstrations against Netanyahu’s contentious judicial reforms and the recent resumption of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Hostage families and many Israelis have denounced the renewed airstrikes following weeks of ceasefire.
In spite of increasing dissent, Netanyahu’s government keeps moving forward, further aggravating tensions in the already divided country.
