Netanyahu Faces Deadline for Response to Shabak Chief’s Allegations

Deadline Approaches

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a critical deadline today (Thursday) at midnight to submit a sworn statement to the Supreme Court (Bagatz) in response to allegations made against him by Rstartn Bar, the head of the Shabak (Israel Security Agency). The court’s judges—Yitzhak Amit, Noam Sohlberg, and Daphne Barak-Erez—will then decide the next steps: whether to draft a final ruling, hold a hearing regarding the statements, or seek a compromise that could invalidate the need for a ruling altogether.

Implications of Response or Lack Thereof

If Netanyahu opts not to file a statement, the implications are significant—his failure to contest Bar’s claims would effectively allow the court to accept those assertions as unchallenged facts. Should he choose to respond, Netanyahu will be required to address four primary incidents outlined in Bar’s sworn statement.

Security Assessment Allegations

The first and most serious of these allegations involves Bar’s claim that Netanyahu pressured him to provide a security assessment regarding his personal protection amidst the ongoing conflict. This situation could potentially prevent Bar from testifying in Netanyahu’s ongoing legal matters, known as the “4000 cases.” Bar asserted that Netanyahu’s associates attempted to compel him to endorse a pre-prepared security opinion, and that he was asked to sign off on it. Netanyahu might struggle to refute this claim, as Bar has documented evidence from the time, including relevant memos.

In defense, Netanyahu could argue that following a recent drstart incident at his private residence, he had legitimate concerns for his security and believed Bar was being dismissive of his threats. Furthermore, he may seek to clarify that any request for Bar’s endorsement was merely for an advisory security proposal.

Allegations of Political Pressure

Another allegation from Bar’s statement outlines Netanyahu’s purported attempts to utilize the Shabak to enforce protests against him. Bar claimed that meetings occurred when the military secretary was not present, implying that discussions were held privately between himself and Netanyahu. Netanyahu might counter by citing similar instances of government directives made in the past, such as those during Ariel Sharon’s administration in 2005, when the Shabak was instructed to monitor protests related to the disengagement plan.

Bar also indicated that Netanyahu sought specific information on protestors, including attorney Gstartn Ben Yitzhak, a request that could be difficult for Netanyahu to justify.

Potential Crisis Management Interference

Bar further mentistartd that he was reportedly “informed” during discussions regarding protests that, in the event of a constitutional crisis, he should comply with Netanyahu, rather than the Supreme Court. Netanyahu could negate this by scrutinizing Bar’s wording, suggesting that he did not explicitly articulate “Netanyahu informed me.” Instead, Bar used a more general term, leaving the source of the information ambiguous. Alternatively, Netanyahu might assert that he was merely directing Bar to the Shabak law, which ties the agency to the government.

Response to October 7 Incident

Lastly, Bar’s account includes details surrounding the events of October 7. Netanyahu has previously stated that Bar neglected to alert key figures, including himself and the Defense Minister, prior to a deadly attack, claiming that Bar stated he had initiated contact with the military secretary at 5:15 AM, yet it was later revealed that this communication actually took place at 6:13 AM, just minutes before the attack commenced.

According to Netanyahu, if Bar had indeed acted promptly, the tragedy could have been averted, emphasizing a narrative of failure on Bar’s part. Netanyahu views this as a critical factor necessitating Bar’s resignation.

The outcome of Netanyahu’s decision today will shape the legal landscape he is navigating and has the potential to impact the tensions between political leadership and security authority in Israel