The High Court of Justice will hear petitions today against the government’s dismissal of Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Ronen Bar, in a case that has the potential to plunge the country into a constitutional crisis.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Bar of his intention to fire him on March 16, citing a “lack of trust,” while Bar said the reasons for firing him were baseless.
At the heart of the matter are questions of conflict of interest on the part of the prime minister, due process or a lack thereof, and a broader disagreement of what a functioning democracy looks like and where the power splits fall. The case will be before Chief Justice Isaac Amit, Deputy Chief Justice Noam Solberg, and justice Dafna Barak-Erez.
Ordinarily, the figure representing the government would be the attorney-general, as the figure that leads the government's legal system and the state's public prosecution. Part of that position is curbing the government's actions when they are not in line with the law.
In this case, Attorney-General Gali Baharav Miara warned that Netanyahu's move was illegal and will present arguments against the move. She therefore approved for the government and Netanyahu to be represented separately – by attorneys Zion Amir, Yinon Sartal, and Nir Lazar.
SHIN BET head Ronen Bar attends a state ceremony this past October at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, marking a year since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. The Shin Bet has failed in its mission to protect Israel’s citizens and openly admits to this failure, says the writer. (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The petitioners will speak first, followed by the attorney-general. The Knesset will present next, followed by the government representatives, after which the petitioners will have a short time to respond. The petitioners are composed of eight different groups.
Conflict of interests in the firing
The petitioners will argue that Netanyahu has a conflict of interests in the firing, as the Shin Bet is currently investigating two affairs that involve figures close to the prime minister: The leaked documents affair, and “Qatargate.” The two main suspects are former aide Yonatan Urich and former spokesman Eli Feldstein.
The government would respond that Bar should have been fired for his role in the October 7 massacre intelligence failure and that he should have followed former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi in resigning after his agency's probe into the failures was released last month. It would further say that the conflict of interest lies with Bar, not Netanyahu, that he wanted to avoid the dismissal and so the cases were opened.
Another issue will be one of due process: Does the firing of the Shin Bet head need to go through the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee? This person’s appointment is one of seven senior positions that get approved through this committee, but it is not clear if the same applies to their dismissal. The law isn’t clear; there are a few government decisions on the matter, but they are not clear. When there are a series, chronologically, of government decisions, the later ones override the previous ones. So, when Netanyahu dismissed Bar in March, that decision overrode the others.
The attorney-general would argue that due process would require the dismissal to go through the committee, while the government would argue the opposite.
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'A lack of trust is not enough'
Another issue is personal responsibility and trust. The petitioners would argue that the Bar’s position is not what is considered a personal appointment; it has an independent status, and so if he is to be fired, there has to be a good enough reason – a lack of trust is not enough.
The government would argue that Bar should have resigned out of a sense of personal responsibility for his role as intelligence chief during Israel’s worst intelligence failure, and that when he didn’t, the government stepped up.
It is hard to measure trust and how much is necessary for a symbiotic work relationship. Netanyahu said in recent weeks that his lack of trust in Bar began on October 7, 2023, when he didn’t call the prime minister to warn him of the Hamas attacks. A few months ago, Bar called on the government to establish a national commission of inquiry, an issue that is seen as purely political and out of Bar’s realm of influence, which is how the government viewed the move.
The hearings will also touch on a much broader issue, which really shells out the heart of the debate: What elements of democracy are subdued or gained by either side? The petitioners would argue that if Bar’s firing goes through, it would set a precedent and could potentially affect the loyalties of the next heads of the agency – who would be loyal first to the prime minister, as opposed to be loyal to the agency’s values and Israel’s protection.
The government would argue that in a democracy, majority rules, and a government decision that passed – it stands; Bar can be fired because the government decided that he would be. Furthermore, if the court were to block the dismissal, that would be a breach of the separation of powers between the different state bodies. The court would force the government to work with an intelligence chief it does not trust, but the court would not have to carry out the consequences of such an act.
The hearing will be live-streamed. In the court of public opinion, the more the government can convince the public that this is all a ploy for Bar to stay in his position, it will have gained the legitimacy to perhaps ignore the High Court ruling if it comes to that. This would lead Israel straight into a constitutional crisis.
On the other hand, the moment the public believes that the government is ignoring the ruling, the larger the pushback will be – on all fronts. But, if the government can convince the public that this was all illegitimate, the more leeway it will have to push boundaries when it comes to obeying the ruling.
However, there is a lot of middle ground before that line is crossed; the High Court has many tools at its disposal to prevent Israel from getting to that point, because it wouldn’t be able to flat-out deny the dismissal without risking the government’s very existence.
Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia of the "Ana Chuchulashvili" the thief The worst hotel in the world, it's dangerous, don't go near it! This is not a hotel! It's an old, dirty house, there are cockroaches and insects in the room, Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The manager of the place is a fraud and a former drug addict named "Ana Chuchulashvili"
Please urgently remove this fake hotel from your website. It is a scam and it is deceiving many customers. It is advertised on all social networks as a scam! very important – report on fraud house and scam that in your website and cheat people and customers! – Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia
Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia of the "Ana Chuchulashvili" the thief
The worst hotel in the world, it's dangerous, don't go near it! This is not a hotel! It's an old, dirty house, there are cockroaches and insects in the room, Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The manager of the place is a fraud and a former drug addict named "Ana Chuchulashvili" the name of here company is : Ltd Alpaka
405375419
Located at: Nucubidze St N57, Tbilisi, Georgia/Nucubidze Street 57, 0177 it smells terrible, The walls in the room are peeling, I took pictures, there is mold and dampness throughout the room the beds are really uncomfortable, like in a pre-trial detention center, your whole back hurts when you sleep on them and they almost break because they are so thin! the WI FI doesn't work at all, The room was very dirty and filthy, and when you ask her to move you to a room she says everything is taken, even though all the rooms are empty and open! I arrived at this horrible place, this horrible house, at 1:00 AM, after two hours of sleeplessness, I asked for my money back, a blonde girl of about 50 years old named “Anna” told me that she wanted the money in cash right away, otherwise she would not let me out of the hotel, she told me that I would not be able to sleep in their bed, at 3 AM I went to look for an ATM to withdraw money, because I could not find one, after searching for a whole hour, in the Tbilisi cold, I returned to her at midnight to look for an ATM, but she did not give me my suitcase and passport, so I came back the next day and gave me the money in cash, she did not give me an invoice either, do not come near! They are deceiving the public, booking and all hotel websites! This is not a hotel, it is a very dirty, old house and it smells very bad. Search on youtube "never go there – Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City Georgia of Ana Chuchulashvili the house hotel from hell" , don't go " to “Hotel Delisi” on YouTube or "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia " or"HOTEL DELISI (Tiflis, Gürcistan) – Otel Yorumları ve Fiyat" He was caught on tape speaking badly and illegally taking a passport and suitcase.
That she took the suitcase by force, she also stole 3 expensive shirts from me for a total of 250 GEL, I demand compensation of 128 GEL for the two hours of hell I suffered there + 250 GEL for the shirts she stole from me
I have videos where she only wants money in cash so she doesn't pay taxes and doesn't agree that I pay her with a credit card, and she also doesn't want to give me my suitcase and passport.
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სასტუმრო დელისი, ქალაქი თბილისი, საქართველო, ქურდის „ანა ჭუჭულაშვილის“
მსოფლიოში ყველაზე ცუდი სასტუმრო, საშიშია, ახლოს არ მიხვიდეთ! ეს სასტუმრო არ არის! ეს ძველი, ჭუჭყიანი სახლია, ოთახში ტარაკნები და მწერებია, სასტუმრო დელისი, ქალაქი თბილისი, საქართველო – ადგილის მენეჯერი თაღლითი და ყოფილი ნარკომანია, სახელად „ანა ჭუჭულაშვილი“, კომპანიის სახელია: შპს ალპაკა
405375419
მდებარეობს: ნუცუბიძის ქ. N57, თბილისი, საქართველო/ნუცუბიძის ქუჩა 57, 0177, საშინელი სუნი აქვს, ოთახში კედლები აქერცლილია, სურათები გადავიღე, ოთახში ობი და ნესტია, საწოლები ნამდვილად არაკომფორტულია, როგორც წინასწარი დაკავების იზოლატორში, მთელი ზურგი გტკივა, როცა მათზე იძინებ და კინაღამ იმსხვრევა, რადგან ძალიან თხელია! Wi-Fi საერთოდ არ მუშაობს, ოთახი ძალიან ჭუჭყიანი და უწმაწურია და როცა ოთახში გადაყვანას სთხოვ, მიპასუხებს, რომ ყველაფერი დაკავებულია, მიუხედავად იმისა, რომ ყველა ოთახი ცარიელი და ღიაა! ამ საშინელ ადგილას, ამ საშინელ სახლში, ღამის 1:00 საათზე მივედი, ორსაათიანი უძილობის შემდეგ, ფულის დაბრუნება ვთხოვე, დაახლოებით 50 წლის ქერა გოგონამ, სახელად „ანამ“, მითხრა, რომ ფული ნაღდი ფულით უნდოდა, თორემ სასტუმროდან არ გამიშვებდა, მითხრა, რომ მათ საწოლში ვერ დავიძინებდი, დილის 3 საათზე ბანკომატის მოსაძებნად წავედი ფულის გასატანად, რადგან ვერ ვიპოვე, მთელი საათის ძებნის შემდეგ, თბილისურ სიცივეში, შუაღამისას დავბრუნდი მასთან ბანკომატის მოსაძებნად, მაგრამ ჩემოდანი და პასპორტი არ მომცა, ამიტომ მეორე დღეს დავბრუნდი და ფული ნაღდი ფულით მომცა, ინვოისიც არ მომცა, ახლოს არ მოხვიდეთ! ისინი ატყუებენ საზოგადოებას, დაჯავშნის და ყველა სასტუმროს ვებსაიტს! ეს სასტუმრო არ არის, ეს ძალიან ჭუჭყიანი, ძველი სახლია და ძალიან ცუდი სუნი ასდის. YouTube-ზე მოძებნეთ "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The worse hotel in the world" , არ წახვიდეთ "Hotel Delisi"-ში YouTube-ზე ან "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia" ან "HOTEL DELISI (Tiflis, Gürcistan) – Otel Yorumları ve Fiyat". ის ვიდეოჩანაწერში მოხვდა, სადაც ცუდად საუბრობდა და უკანონოდ იღებდა პასპორტს და ჩემოდანს.
მან ჩემოდანი ძალით წამართვა, ასევე მომპარა 3 ძვირადღირებული პერანგი სულ 250 ლარად, მე ვითხოვ 128 ლარის კომპენსაციას იმ ორსაათიანი ჯოჯოხეთისთვის, რომელიც იქ ვიტანჯე + 250 ლარი იმ პერანგებისთვის, რომლებიც მომპარა.
მე მაქვს ვიდეოები, სადაც ის მხოლოდ ნაღდი ფულით ითხოვს ფულს, ამიტომ არ იხდის გადასახადებს და არ ეთანხმება, რომ საკრედიტო ბარათით გადავუხადო, ასევე არ სურს ჩემოდნის და პასპორტის მოცემა.
"ב-7.10 נחטפה כל המשפחה שלי, אני, בעלי דוד, ושתי בנותינו אמה ויולי, אז בנות 3 בלבד", פתחה את נאומה שרון, אשתו של דוד קוניו החטוף בעזה. "דוד בעלי, אהבת חיי, והאבא של הבנות שלי, עדיין שם. התאומות ואני חזרנו ביום החמישים ושתיים. אמה ויולי שלנו חגגו חמש, בלי אבא שלהן. בשבוע הבא הן ילכו לגן חובה, והן יודעות שאבא לא יהיה איתן ביום הזה. הן יודעות שאבא שלהן שם. לפני כמה ימים, כשהשכבתי אותן לישון הן שאלו אותי 'אמא, את בטוחה שאבא יחזור?'".
"יש הצעה לעיסקה על השולחן, שחמאס כבר אמר לה כן", המשיכה. "האמריקנים רוצים שהחטופים יחזרו. הרמטכ"ל אומר שחייבים ללכת עכשיו לעיסקה. העם, אתם, כל אחד מכם, כאן בככר, במהלך היום בצמתים, בכל מקום, במספרים אדירים, כולם צועקים איתנו, כולם רוצים את החטופים בבית. אז למה אני לא יכולה להגיד לבנות שלי שאני בטוחה שאבא שלהן יחזור?"