The Clash of Ideas Underlying Israel’s Internal Strife

Turning to domestic Israeli politics, the Supreme Court has given the government and the attorney-general until Sunday to resolve the dispute between them over the cabinet’s decision to fire Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet. The passions surrounding this ongoing clash reflect perceptions of the personalities and conduct of Bar and of Benjamin Netanyahu, partisan divides, and questions of who is most responsible for failing to prevent the October 7 attacks. But also at stake are much broader constitutional questions: should security institutions like the Shin Bet, the IDF, and Mossad—not to mention other government bureaucracies—be accountable to parliament and the cabinet? Does the executive branch need the permission of the Supreme Court to make hiring and firing decisions?