In recent months, the Shin Bet conducted a covert investigation against the police and the minister in charge of it, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, on suspicion of “undermining the foundations of government and the democratic regime,” Channel 12 News reported on Sunday evening.

According to the report, a secret document compiled by the Shin Bet stated: “We have marked the spread of Kahanism to law enforcement institutions as a dangerous phenomenon, the prevention of which is part of the Shin Bet’s mission. Given the involvement of the political echelon, this must be carried out with great care and caution.”

Bar’s people were instructed to gather information secretly and come up with some “findings,” with the document stating: “Continue to collect evidence and testimony of the political echelon’s involvement in the actions of the security echelon in the direction of using force in a manner contrary to the law, and come up with some findings.”

The Shin Bet initially confirmed the report, even claiming that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was informed of the investigation, but then retracted the statement and denied the existence of such a probe.

Ben-Gvir responded by saying: “This is an earthquake. Now it is even clearer why Ronen Bar must not be left as the head of the Shin Bet for even a minute. The head of a secret organization who initiates investigations and gathers materials against elected officials, while defining the goal in advance, ‘to collect evidence and testimony of the political echelon’s involvement’, is an immediate danger to democracy, who must be removed from any position immediately.”

According to reports, a stormy scene took place on Sunday evening when Ben-Gvir, who heard about the Shin Bet probe from his advisors, burst into a meeting of the cabinet and shouted at Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, saying: “Are you behind this?”

Bar responded: “A lie. I never ordered an investigation against you. They’re always telling lies about me.”

Ben Gvir then left and returned with the documents and presented them to the participants at the meeting, saying to Netanyahu: “This is a lying Shin Bet chief, a criminal whose place is in prison, a head of a secret service who spies on the political echelon, orders the collection of incriminating material on them, and tries to carry out a coup. It is simply unbelievable that a security organization in Israel is undermining the government and conducting a political investigation in order to carry out a political coup against the will of the people.”

Netanyahu’s office responded to the report on Sunday evening, stating: “The Prime Minister is not aware of this investigation and was not updated about it by the Shin Bet chief.”

His office published another harsh statement against Bar on Monday morning, stating: “The claim that the Prime Minister authorized Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to collect evidence against Minister Ben-Gvir is another lie that has been shattered.”

The statement added that “the document that was published – which shows an explicit directive from the Shin Bet chief to collect evidence against the political echelon – is reminiscent of dark regimes, undermines the foundations of democracy, and was aimed at overthrowing a right-wing government.”

“The Prime Minister was never updated by the Shin Bet chief that he intended to collect evidence on the political echelon behind his back, and did not authorize this. On the contrary, at a working meeting on June 19, 2024, when the Shin Bet chief raised a claim about the entry of Kahanist elements into the police, the Prime Minister unequivocally instructed the Shin Bet chief to present him with evidence to support this claim, to raise it directly and immediately before the Minister of National Security, and in no way to act behind the Minister’s back. The Shin Bet chief pledged to the Prime Minister to do so, but did not keep his commitment.”

On Monday morning, Ben-Gvir demanded that a criminal investigation be opened against Bar, writing on X: “Ronen Bar is a criminal and a liar, who is now trying to deny his attempt to conspire against elected officials in a democratic country, even after the documents were revealed to the public and the world. I will not be satisfied with his dismissal, he must face criminal charges for attempting a coup and attempting to overthrow democracy.”

Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har Melech stated: “Now it is clear where the Shin Bet was – instead of focusing on the war on terror and protecting the security of Israeli citizens, it invested resources in the political persecution of elected officials and the persecution of Jewish settlers.

“A Shin Bet chief who conducts a political investigation against the political echelon while setting a goal in advance – to provide evidence against the government – has crossed a dangerous red line. This is not national security – this is a governmental coup under the guise of a secret organization. Ronen Bar must end his term immediately.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)