Israeli government warns of ‘severe consequences' if Supreme Court fails to dismiss Shin Bet chief

The Israeli government warned the Supreme Court on Sunday that failure to implement its decision to remove Shin Bet head Ronen Bar could lead to "severe consequences."

This warning came in response to petitions filed by opposition parties against the government's decision to dismiss Bar, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

The government argued that allowing Bar to remain in his position was "an irreversible harm to the security of the state," adding that "forcing him to continue in office is unacceptable."

The government further stated that Bar's term as head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency ended following the government decision due to a lack of trust in him, thus necessitating the termination of his duties.

On March 20, the Israeli government unanimously agreed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to dismiss Bar, making it the first such decision in Israel's history, despite protests from thousands of Israeli citizens.

The Supreme Court temporarily froze the dismissal, pending review of petitions filed by opposition parties. The court set April 8 as the date to review the petitions against Bar's dismissal.

Last week, Netanyahu announced the appointment of former Navy Commander Eli Sharvit as the new Shin Bet chief, but later retracted the decision amid criticism within his government following revelations that Sharvit had participated in protests against the government in early 2023.

Bar's dismissal came as Israel continued its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, where more than 50,600 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.