Israeli Supreme Court Suspends Dismissal of Shin Bet Chief Amid Controversy

The Israeli Supreme Court, on March 21, 2025, suspended the government's decision to dismiss Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet. This action was taken to review appeals filed against the dismissal. The court plans to hold hearings to examine five appeals by April 8. Opposition parties, including Yesh Atid, National Unity, Israel Beiteinu, and the Democrats, requested the Supreme Court to halt the dismissal, citing conflicts of interest. They pointed to the Shin Bet's investigation into members of Netanyahu's cabinet for alleged ties to Qatar and the agency's probe into the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, which partly blamed the Israeli government. The Shin Bet, under Bar's direction since 2021, was investigating the 'Qatargate' scandal, involving alleged payments from Qatar to Netanyahu's advisors to promote a favorable campaign during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The dismissal is effective on April 10, unless a replacement is named sooner. The Attorney General is also under scrutiny, with a vote on a motion of no confidence scheduled for Sunday.