Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is once again plunging Israel into a deeply polarising legal and political crisis. Over the weekend, he announced his plan to dismiss Ronen Bar, the chief of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service. This was followed on Tuesday by his decision to renew the war in Gaza, by violating the fragile ceasefire that had stayed in place for several months, showing disregard for the safety of the 59 remaining hostages in the process.
Netanyahu, who is facing three criminal indictments for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, justified his decision to dismiss Bar by stating that he had lost confidence in his security chief. However, there seems to be another reason behind the Prime Minister’s abrupt decision, one that indicates the severe pressure that Netanyahu is under and is affecting his judgement and decision-making.
The rift in Israeli society is deepening
A few weeks ago, Bar, together with the Israeli police, decided to launch an investigation into two of Netanyahu’s spokespeople and one former strategic advisor on suspicion of dubious ties and financial transactions with Qatar, a country that supports terrorist organisations including Hamas.
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