Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stated that the Supreme Court ruling regarding the dismissal of Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar determined that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acted under a conflict of interest due to the ongoing Qatargate investigation. As a result, she said, Netanyahu must refrain from any actions related to appointing a new head of the Shin Bet until legal guidelines ensuring the integrity of the process are finalized. These guidelines are expected in the coming days.
In her statement, Baharav-Miara wrote: "The court found that the prime minister acted in a conflict of interest. Therefore, he must refrain from any steps concerning the appointment of a new Shin Bet director until legal instructions are established to ensure the process is conducted properly. These will be formulated in the coming days."
Coalition Chair Ofir Katz quickly responded, calling to disregard the attorney general’s directive. "I've never seen a legal opinion prepared so quickly—it’s as if she knew the verdict in advance," he said. "Ignore the attorney general’s instructions. Don’t play with Israel’s security. Appoint now!"
In its decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the dismissal of Shin Bet head Ronen Bar was carried out under a conflict of interest and that Netanyahu himself was compromised due to his involvement in the so-called Qatargate investigation. Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit and Justice Daphne Barak-Erez were in the majority, while Deputy President Noam Sohlberg dissented. The majority concluded that "the government's decision is unprecedented in the history of the State of Israel."
Justice Amit stated, "The decision to terminate the Shin Bet chief’s tenure was flawed in multiple ways, including lack of factual basis, absence of a proper hearing, and acting in conflict of interest. Each of these flaws is significant on its own, and together they indicate the dismissal was unlawful." He added that despite Bar’s announcement that he would step down—rendering the petitions moot—the court needed to establish deterrence to prevent similar future cases. "This issue could recur, and deterrence is needed to prevent improper conduct. It’s a matter of preemptive protection: when a legal or normative question arises, we must address it."
Quoting the Shin Bet Law, Amit noted that "the agency must operate in a statesmanlike manner" and that "no task may be imposed upon it to advance partisan-political interests." He explained, "This provision—which forms a kind of constitutional DNA for the Shin Bet—is unique in legislation and is intended to ensure that although the agency is hierarchically subordinate to the political echelon, its work remains professional and independent. The tools entrusted to it must be used solely for purposes that align with Israel’s democratic character."
He continued, "There may be tension between the agency’s subordination to the political echelon and the principle of nonpartisan governance. The concern is that the government could impose tasks on the agency meant to serve political ends—contrary to the law’s explicit language. Amid this tension, the Shin Bet director’s responsibility is to ensure the tools and powers entrusted to the agency are used in good faith and not for political purposes."
Regarding the prime minister's conflict of interest, stemming from the Qatargate affair and a related classified documents leak, Amit said, "The prime minister himself is not a suspect in these affairs, but it's evident he has a personal stake in their outcomes. Any legal ruling on the proper conduct of the Prime Minister’s Office—especially during wartime—can affect his public image and political standing. Netanyahu himself acknowledged as much by publicly addressing these matters as developments occurred during the investigations."
"The prime minister has tied himself to these investigations and their results, even if he is not formally implicated. Moreover, he has been called to give open testimony in the Qatar funding probe, which further substantiates claims of his personal involvement," Amit concluded.
First published: 17:28, 05.21.25