Netanyahu’s Moves to Oust Officials Ignite Legal Showdown/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to fire Israel’s top security and legal officials have triggered mass protests and a looming constitutional crisis. Critics accuse Netanyahu of targeting institutions investigating him and say the moves could undermine the rule of law. The Supreme Court has already blocked one dismissal, raising the risk of government defiance and chaos.
Netanyahu vs. Judiciary: Quick Looks
- Firing Sparked Protests: Netanyahu announced the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, sparking nationwide demonstrations.
- Attorney General Targeted: The cabinet voted to begin the process of removing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of obstructing Netanyahu’s agenda.
- Supreme Court Steps In: The court issued an injunction to halt Bar’s firing, with a legal ruling pending.
- Corruption Trial Factor: Critics say Netanyahu is targeting officials tied to investigations against him, including his ongoing corruption trial.
- Qatar Infiltration Probe: The Shin Bet is probing whether Netanyahu’s office was infiltrated by foreign agents connected to Qatar.
- No Written Constitution: Israel’s democracy relies on judicial oversight; defying court rulings could plunge the country into a constitutional crisis.
- Civil War Warnings: Former top justices and opposition leaders warn of national disobedience and civil strife if court rulings are ignored.
- Historic Parallels: Protests echo 2023 unrest when Netanyahu first pushed to overhaul Israel’s judiciary, sparking mass resistance.
Netanyahu’s Moves to Oust Officials Ignite Legal Showdown
Deep Look
TEL AVIV, Israel — As Israel remains embroiled in a grinding war, another conflict is escalating within its own government — one that experts warn could tear at the fabric of Israeli democracy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has initiated controversial steps to remove two of the country’s highest-ranking officials: Shin Bet domestic intelligence chief Ronen Bar and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Both dismissals are being interpreted as retaliatory — aimed at stifling investigations into Netanyahu’s inner circle and his own legal troubles.
A Political Power Play
Netanyahu claims a “crisis of confidence” prompted Bar’s firing, citing the Shin Bet’s failure to prevent Hamas’ devastating October 7, 2023, assault. But critics say the real motivation lies in the agency’s investigation into whether Qatar — a known backer of Hamas — infiltrated Netanyahu’s office via hired political advisers. That probe, along with Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, has placed the security chief and attorney general directly in the prime minister’s crosshairs.
The government’s vote Sunday to begin the process of removing Baharav-Miara only escalated the crisis. Netanyahu accuses her of blocking his legislative agenda, but legal experts say firing the nation’s top law officer — who also oversees his prosecution — poses a blatant conflict of interest.
Checks and Balances Under Threat
Unlike many democracies, Israel lacks a formal constitution. Power is balanced mainly by its Supreme Court, which serves as a critical check on the parliamentary majority — currently controlled by Netanyahu’s coalition.
That court has already frozen Bar’s dismissal with an injunction, and is expected to weigh in again following hearings. Should Netanyahu ignore the court’s ruling, legal scholars say Israel could enter uncharted territory — a constitutional breakdown in which two arms of government issue conflicting orders.
“The dangerous scenario is if they don’t accept the ruling,” said Dr. Amir Fuchs of the Israel Democracy Institute. “We’ll be in a legal vacuum, where no one knows which authority to follow. That’s a direct path to chaos.”
Warnings of Civil Strife
The situation has alarmed even Israel’s most respected legal minds. Aharon Barak, the 88-year-old former Supreme Court president and a towering figure in Israeli jurisprudence, warned over the weekend that the country was heading toward civil war. He joined nearly 20 retired justices in a rare public statement urging Netanyahu to back down, warning that removing the attorney general would damage the rule of law.
Protesters have taken to the streets in the thousands, evoking scenes from 2023 when Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul first drew fierce public backlash. General strikes and mass refusals by reservists followed then — and similar threats are resurfacing now.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid has floated the idea of a nationwide tax strike if Netanyahu ignores court rulings. Arnon Bar-David, the powerful leader of Israel’s largest labor union, suggested he might call for a general strike if democratic norms are trampled.
Return of Ben-Gvir, Political Calculations
Netanyahu’s maneuvering has not occurred in a vacuum. The return of far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir to his governing coalition, shortly after the firing of Bar and resumption of military operations in Gaza, underscores the high political stakes.
Ben-Gvir had previously quit the government to protest a temporary ceasefire, but was welcomed back after Bar’s dismissal — strengthening Netanyahu’s grip ahead of a crucial budget vote.
History Repeats, Or Escalates?
This showdown echoes the unrest of 2023, when Netanyahu’s push to overhaul the judiciary brought hundreds of thousands of Israelis into the streets. Reservists threatened to stop serving. Military and economic leaders warned of instability. Analysts now suggest that internal divisions contributed to Israel being caught off guard by Hamas last October.
Now, with Israel still at war and Netanyahu’s political survival hanging in the balance, the stakes are even higher.
As commentator Nadav Eyal wrote in Yediot Ahronot: “Disobeying the courts is an illegal act. The result could be widespread civil disobedience, the type of which the government will not survive.”
Whether Netanyahu backs down — or doubles down — could determine not just his political future, but the future of Israeli democracy itself.
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