Israel security chief accuses PM Netanyahu of demanding personal loyalty

Israel's internal security chief, whom the government is trying to sack, on Monday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of demanding his personal loyalty and ordering him to spy on anti-government protesters.

The accusations, made in a sworn statement to the Supreme Court, are the latest twist in a legal and political saga pitting Netanyahu against Ronen Bar, whose dismissal, announced by the government last month, triggered mass protests in Israel.

The unprecedented move to fire the Shin Bet chief has been contested by the attorney general and the opposition, which sees it as a sign of authoritarian drift.

Following a lengthy hearing, the Supreme Court on April 8 called on the government and the attorney general to find a compromise on the issue, giving them until after the Jewish Passover holiday, which has just ended.

Israeli media has reported that Bar could soon resign.

The document, an affidavit the security chief submitted to the court on Monday, contains several accusations against Netanyahu, including that he had asked Bar for personal loyalty.

"It was clear" that in the event of a constitutional crisis, he would be expected to obey Netanyahu and not the Supreme Court, Bar wrote in the document, which was released by the attorney general's office.

The security agency boss also said Netanyahu told him "on more than one occasion" that he expected Shin Bet to take action against Israeli citizens involved in anti-government protests, "with a particular focus on monitoring the protest's financial backers".

Bar also confirmed media reports that Netanyahu had sought the Shin Bet chief's help to delay testifying in the Israeli premier's ongoing corruption trial.

He also denied accusations from the prime minister and his associates that Shin Bet failed to warn Netanyahu and other security agencies in time about the October 7, 2023, attack.

Following the hearing on April 8, the Supreme Court ruled that Bar "will continue to perform his duties until a later decision".

It added "there is nothing to prevent interviews with candidates for the post, without announcing an appointment".