Netanyahu demanded loyalty before trying to fire me, Shin Bet chief claims | Israel

The director of Israel’s internal intelligence agency, Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, alleges he was fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for refusing to pledge loyalty and for not surveilling anti-government protesters. Bar’s affidavit to the supreme court details Netanyahu’s demands for loyalty over judicial authority and an effort to coerce him regarding a corruption case. The dispute has escalated into a constitutional crisis, with accusations of politicization of the agency and intensifying tensions following the October 2023 Hamas attacks.