Netanyahu’s Efforts to Block Rstartn Bar’s Affidavit Submission to the Supreme Court

Pressures Surrounding Rstartn Bar’s Testimony

Recent reports indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offstart has exerted significant pressure on Israel’s Shin Bet (Shabak) chief, Rstartn Bar, to refrain from submitting an affidavit to the Supreme Court regarding his dismissal. According to Kan 11 news, messages conveyed from Netanyahu’s offstart suggested Bar should “not submit the affidavit, agree to resign, and a mutually agreed date for the conclusion of his tenure will be established.” Furthermore, it was proposed that Bar could be involved in the selection of his successor.

Shin Bet’s Response and Legal Proceedings

While the Shin Bet has declined to comment directly on these developments, they have described the delay in submitting the affidavit as a technical issue, which has been presented to the court in an official request. Sources within the Shin Bet have stated that Bar has yet to inform them of a specific date for his resignation. Bar has previously indicated that he would not extend his tenure in light of the agency’s failure to prevent the invasion that occurred on October 7.

Bar is expected to file the affidavit opposing Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss him, having requested an extension for its submission, which was initially slated for today. In the official request to the Supreme Court, it was stated that a “short extension is needed for its completion.” The Prime Minister is anticipated to submit a counter-affidavit by Thursday, after which the judges will make their decisions based on these documents.

The Implications of Bar’s Resignation

Should Bar choose to resign before the Supreme Court’s ruling, it is likely that the judges would dismiss the petitions, rendering them moot. The government has made attempts to obstruct Bar’s affidavit, arguing it lacks legal validity.

A significant topic in Bar’s affidavit will address Netanyahu’s repeated requests to delay his testimony in the ongoing criminal case against him. Bar asserts that these demands began in November 2024, during which he was asked to provide a security assessment indicating that due to security conditions, uninterrupted testimony could not take place. However, Bar claims that after conducting the necessary evaluations, he concluded that the appropriate security measures could allow for the testimony to proceed.

As this situation unfolds, it poses substantial legal and political ramifications, potentially influencing the broader narrative surrounding Netanyahu’s administration and its surrounding controversies