Israeli PM Netanyahu moves to fire spy agency chief

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would fire the chief of the country’s intelligence agency, Shin Bet, after months of disagreement, although his attorney general delayed the move.

Netanyahu said that he had “ongoing distrust” in Ronen Bar.

While the government can in theory remove Shin Bet leaders, it has never happened, and the attorney general’s office warned earlier this month that it would review any such move to ensure compliance with “procedural and substantive safeguards.”

Netanyahu has long wanted to remove Bar, The Times of Israel reported, as he “seeks to pin the blame” for the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Shin Bet’s failures. But Bar has refused to quit, saying his loyalty was to Israel, not Netanyahu.