Israel's top court began a hearing on Tuesday on the legality of a hotly contested decision to sack domestic security chief Ronen Bar, with protests from government supporters and critics briefly interrupting the proceedings.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on March 21 that his government had unanimously approved a motion to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency, citing "lack of trust" and requiring Bar to leave his post by April 10.
The hearing on Tuesday follows petitions filed by opposition parties and non-profit groups, challenging the legality of the government's move, which the Supreme Court had already frozen until a ruling was made.
Protests were held outside the Jerusalem courtroom, and inside, shouts and interruptions forced the judges to halt proceedings after only 30 minutes.
"No court in the world is run this way," said Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit after warning government supporters and critics who interrupted the hearing, which is broadcast live.
Amit called for a recess, during which scuffles between the sides continued outside the courtroom.
The hearing resumed about an hour later, with no audience, "to allow the right to argue without fear for all parties involved", according to Amit.
The judges will likely issue a decision later in the week, according to media reports.
Bar has pushed back against the government's move to sack him, dismissing Netanyahu's arguments as "general, unsubstantiated accusations".
The Shin Bet chief claimed that the real motivation was based on "personal interest" intended to "prevent investigations into the events leading up to October 7 and other serious matters" being looked at by the Shin Bet, referring to the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has also cautioned that ousting Bar, who joined the Shin Bet in 1993 and was only meant to end his tenure next year, was "tainted by a personal conflict of interest on the part of the prime minister due to the criminal investigations involving his associates".
Baharav-Miara was referring to a case involving Netanyahu's close advisers under investigation for allegedly receiving money from Qatar.
'Lies'
Baharav-Miara, who has often clashed with the Netanyahu administration over the independence of the judiciary, said that firing Bar could lead to the politicisation of the powerful position.
Her legal opinion, alongside letters from Bar, were sent on Friday to the Supreme Court, according to a statement from the attorney general.
In his letter to the court, Bar said Netanyahu had requested his intervention to help delay the prime minister's ongoing corruption trial but that when he refused, "this is when I felt that there was lack of trust between us".
Netanyahu swiftly responded by saying that Bar's statement was "full of lies".
Appointed Shin Bet chief in October 2021 by the previous government, led by opponents of Netanyahu, Bar has clashed with the long-serving Netanyahu since his return to power in late 2022.
Bar was critical of a government proposal to reform the judiciary, which drew hundreds of thousands of Israelis onto the streets in protest and was temporarily shelved when the Gaza war began with Hamas's attack.
Tensions between Netanyahu and Bar only increased following the attack and worsened recently with a Shin Bet report on the failures that had led to it including a mention of the government's "policy of quiet had enabled Hamas to undergo massive military buildup".
Bar had suggested he would consider stepping down before the end of his term over his part in failing to prevent the October 7 attack, but only once the war is over and the hostages held in Gaza are freed.
With AFP
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