Netanyahu accuses the head of the Shin Bet of opening an investigation into Minister Ben-Gvir without his permission

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused the head of Israel’s internal security agency of opening an investigation into far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir without his permission.

“The claim that the prime minister authorized Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to gather evidence against Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is another blatant lie,” Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office in response to a report by Israel’s Channel 12.

This came in response to information indicating that the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) had been conducting a secret investigation for several months into the infiltration of the police by far-right elements.

According to Walla website, an unusual confrontation took place on Sunday evening between National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who recently returned to the government, and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar during a cabinet meeting.

The confrontation erupted after Ben-Gvir received a report from his advisors stating that the head of the Shin Bet had ordered information to be gathered about him.

The same source indicated that upon receiving the report, Ben-Gvir stormed into the meeting room angrily and asked the head of the Shin Bet, “Are you behind this?”

The Shin Bet chief responded, saying, “It’s a lie… I never gave such an order… They constantly spread lies about me”.

After to confrontation, Ben-Gvir left the room and later returned with documents that he presented to the session participants.

Addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said, “This is a lying and criminal Shin Bet chief who should be in prison… He is spying on the political leadership, gathering information and evidence, and trying to carry out a coup”.

According to Channel 12, which published an investigation on Sunday evening revealing that the General Security Service (Shin Bet) had conducted a secret investigation into the police and the minister responsible for them, Itamar Ben-Gvir, in recent months.

According to the investigation, the suspicion that prompted the Shin Bet to open the investigation undermines the country’s governmental system.

According to sources familiar with the details, Netanyahu was informed of the secret measure.

The investigation also reveals that in a letter dating back to September, Bar wrote to his followers, “We’ve identified the spread of Kahanism to law enforcement institutions as a dangerous phenomenon, and preventing its part of the Shin Bet’s mission… Given the involvement of the political echelons, this must be done with caution and vigilance”.

He also instructed his men to secretly gather information and evidence and testimonies on the involvement of the political level in the actions of the security level, which tended to use force in a manner contrary to the law.

Following the revelation of this information, the police said, “Police Commissioner Danny Levy was surprised by the alleged allegations against the police, which were reported in an announcement this evening on Channel 12,” adding that the Commissioner isn’t aware of what is being discussed and is therefore requesting immediate clarification from the head of the General Security Service (Shin Bet) and the Attorney General on this matter.

The Shin Bet security service said, “In response to journalists’ inquiries following the publication on Channel 12, it became clear that no investigation was conducted by the Shin Bet into the matter, against the police or any political level, and the Shin Bet is currently not conducting any such investigation”.

It’s worth noting that the Israeli government announced early Friday morning that it had approved the termination of Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar.