Ronen Bar, head of the internal Israeli security service Shin Bet, was dismissed in March.
The announcement triggered mass protests and at the beginning of April, the Supreme Court ruled that the government was not allowed to fire him, appoint a successor, or interfere with Bar's work during a 12-day period during which the parties would work towards a solution.
The deadline expired on Sunday. In a written statement to the court, the intelligence chief launches an attack on Netanyahu, accusing him of having demanded on several occasions that Shin Bet use its espionage apparatus against government-critical demonstrators.
Demanded loyalty
Furthermore, Netanyahu is said to have demanded that Bar obey him rather than the Supreme Court in the event of a constitutional crisis.
According to the Prime Minister, the whole thing is about the government lacking confidence in the intelligence chief after his "complete failure" in connection with the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023.
"That alone justifies the end of his service," says Netanyahu in a statement.
Among opposition members, the attempt to get rid of Bar is seen instead as a step in an authoritarian direction rooted in Netanyahu's personal conflicts of interest.
Dual investigations
The background to the schism lies "not on a professional level but rather in the expectation of personal loyalty to the Prime Minister from my side," writes Ronen Bar in his statement, reports The Times of Israel.
Shin Bet is currently investigating individuals close to the Prime Minister in two cases: regarding leaked state secrets about the Gaza war and suspected bribes from Qatar.
According to Ronen Bar, he will soon announce a date when he plans to resign.
