National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Monday for Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) head Ronen Bar to be prosecuted following reports that he ordered a secret probe against the minister.

“Yesterday, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar was exposed as someone who ordered the collection of information on public officials in a democratic country,” said Ben-Gvir ahead of a faction meeting of his Otzma Yehudit Party at the Knesset in Jerusalem.

Accusing Bar of working together with Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to thwart Ben-Gvir’s police appointments, the minister said the Shin Bet head “acted against the will of the voters who elected me.

“He didn’t want these appointments. Ronen Bar didn’t just target me; he targeted everyone who voted for me,” said Ben-Gvir. “It’s no longer a question of dismissal; Ronen Bar should sit in prison.”

On Thursday, the Israeli Cabinet unanimously approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to fire Bar. His dismissal has since been temporarily frozen pending legal challenges before the High Court of Justice.

Earlier on Monday, the Shin Bet denied media reports that it has conducted an investigation against the Israel Police and Ben-Gvir since September.

In a letter to his staff dated Sept. 26, Bar wrote that the spread of Kahanism, an ideology based on the views of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, “into law enforcement institutions” was “a dangerous phenomenon.” Identifying such influences was part of the Shin Bet’s mission, he continued.

“We must continue to gather evidence and testimonies of the involvement of the political echelon in the security echelon’s actions, in the direction of the use of force in a manner that is contrary to the law, and come up with some findings,” the letter continued, according to Channel 12 News, which broke the story.

‘You are a criminal’

According to Channel 12, when Ben-Gvir saw the report in the course of a security meeting, he castigated Bar, saying, “You are a criminal who should sit in prison.”

Ben-Gvir also confronted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who denied any knowledge of the investigation.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement about the matter on Monday: “The claim that the prime minister authorized Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to collect evidence against Ben-Gvir is yet another lie that has been shattered.

“The published document—which shows an explicit instruction by the head of the Shin Bet to gather evidence against the political echelon—is reminiscent of dark regimes, undermines the foundations of democracy and aims to topple a right-wing government,” it continued.

The prime minister was not informed about any investigation into the political echelon by the head of the Shin Bet, according to the PMO.

The statement noted that at a June 19, 2024, meeting, Bar raised the possibility of Kahanist elements infiltrating the police. In response, Netanyahu demanded evidence to support the claim, and also that it be brought to the immediate attention of Ben-Gvir as head of the police.

“The head of the Shin Bet promised the prime minister he would do so, but did not fulfill his commitment,” according to the statement.

According to the Israel Police, Commissioner Danny Levi has demanded immediate clarification from Bar regarding the investigation.

“Moreover, to the extent that such serious suspicions have arisen, with dangerous consequences, their details must first and foremost be transferred to the head of the organization in order for him to deal with them,” the police statement said.

The Shin Bet denied there had been any investigation against the police or politicians.

“There is no such Shin Bet investigation even now. The head of the Shin Bet spoke this evening with the police commissioner and clarified the matter to him. The two stressed the importance of cooperation between the organizations for the sake of national security,” the agency said.

Image -  Yonatan Sindel/Flash90