(May 22, 2025)
Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled Wednesday that the cabinet’s dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was “improper” and “unlawful.” The court found the firing lacked valid justification and was based on a “thin and shaky factual foundation.”
Expanding on the court’s reasoning, court president Justice Isaac Amit condemned the government’s failure to consult the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee.
The announcement was made despite a letter sent to the government by the Attorney General’s Office earlier in the day, which stated that the government must obtain a recommendation from an advisory committee before weighing Bar’s dismissal.
Citing a cabinet resolution from 2016, the office said that the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee must sign off on the dismissal of anyone from seven different senior civil service positions, including the head of the Shin Bet.