No representative of the Shin Bet was invited to join the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to northern Gaza on Tuesday. An official said the visit was of a military nature and did not require the presence of Shin Bet.
But a security briefing that was scheduled to be held at the Gaza Division headquarters, where the participation of a representative of the Shin Bet was required, was canceled after far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would refuse to attend any meeting with Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
After the news broke, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) issued a statement claiming the meeting was canceled because of scheduling difficulties.
Since Netanyahu decided to fire Bar, claiming he had lost confidence in him, the prime minister and members of his coalition have been publicly feuding with the security chief. Their venomous rhetoric increased considerably after Bar expressed his objection to Netanyahu's conduct in his regard.
Bar claimed that his removal at this time could interfere with the investigation dubbed Qatargate, into the involvement of Netanyahu's close advisors with Qatar and the funds they allegedly received to promote pro-Qatari messaging. Bar's dismissal was temporarily suspended by the Supreme Court last week.
The animosity toward Bar grew even more this week after a new investigation was revealed into a veteran of the agency who allegedly leaked documents about a probe into the possible infiltration of the police ranks by a Jewish terror group.
The Shin Bet probe had been reported earlier and had been criticized by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, himself a former member of the Kach movement, designated a terror group.
Netanyahu distanced himself from the probe, conceding that he had been told of the suspicions but had not approved a Shin Bet investigation.
After the news of the recent leaks broke, he refrained from commenting himself but echoed attacks against Bar. He retweeted his Likud Party's response to the suspected leaker's arrest which claimed Bar cooperated with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to turn the Shin Bet into their private militia to undermine the rule of law.
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Netanyahu then reposted an accusation by a Likud lawmaker who accused Bar of inventing investigations, hounding publicly elected officials and threatening journalists and sources and said Bar himself should be under interrogation.
"When we, members of the government and the coalition unanimously said that we had no confidence in Bar, we knew why," the post read. "The head of an intelligence organization that under his leadership tools meant to be used for the capture of terrorists are used to hunt innocent civilians, elected officials and journalists, is a danger to society."