The head of the security service Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, was dismissed in March, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to lack of confidence – a case that has ended up in the Supreme Court.
When the Supreme Court began proceedings on Tuesday, it was decided that the government is not allowed to dismiss Ronen Bar or appoint a successor – or interfere with his work.
At least not within the next twelve days. The Supreme Court instead wants to see the parties come to an agreement and issue a joint statement on the matter by April 20.
Netanyahu says in a brief statement that the Supreme Court's ruling is "perplexing", according to Israeli media.
Conflicts of Interest
Opposition politicians and non-profit organizations have criticized and contested the dismissal, which they claim is based on allegations of conflicts of interest from Netanyahu's side.
Shin Bet is currently investigating two cases involving people close to the Prime Minister: a leak of state secrets about the Gaza war last year and what has come to be called Qatargate, where two of Netanyahu's closest men are suspected of bribery to Qatar.
Many in Israel wondered beforehand what would happen if the court ruled against the government and blocked the dismissal of Bar, writes The Jerusalem Post. If the government were to ignore the court's ruling, it would lead Israel straight into a constitutional crisis, the newspaper notes.
Tuesday's proceedings were barely underway before they were interrupted several times and later resumed without spectators.
Removed
Among other things, a man whose son was killed during the war between Israel and Hamas held a long speech, writes The Times of Israel. In the speech, he condemned the court for even taking up the case, as he believes that Ronen Bar's hands are "dripping with blood".
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party colleague, Member of Parliament Tally Gotliv, was subsequently removed from the chamber after she had interrupted the proceedings several times.
After the commotion, opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the Prime Minister and his allies of an "orchestrated uprising" and of "shamefully exploiting" bereaved families for their own gain, writes The Times of Israel.
