Attorney General tells Netanyahu: 'You cannot fire Shin Bet head'
Gali Baharav-Miara said that an 'investigation must be completed into the factual and legal basis underlying the decision and the Prime Minister's ability to deal with the matter at this time'
Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that he would seek the dismissal of Shin Bet security agency chief Ronen Bar, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara penned a letter firmly stating that he "cannot fire the head of the Shin Bet."
"The process cannot be initiated until the completion of the factual and legal investigation underlying your decision and your ability to deal with the issue at this time," she said in the letter to Netanyahu. She further explained: "This is due to the unusual sensitivity of the issue, its urgency, the fear that the process is tainted with illegality and conflict of interest, and in consideration of the fact that the position of the head of the national security service is not a personal appointment of the prime minister."
The Prime Minister's Office said that his dismissal will go up for a vote in the government this week. Bar, in turn, said that he intends to continue his role in the near future, until the 59 hostages still in the Gaza Strip are returned. "The Prime Minister's expectation for personal trust that contradicts the public interest - it's invalid," he said. Bar added that an investigation into the October 7 fiasco must probe "all factors, including government policy and the prime minister."