Shin Bet Chief Under Fire As Political Storm Erupts Over Agent Arrest

 

Tensions are escalating at the highest levels of Israel's security and political leadership following the arrest of a Shin Bet agent accused of leaking classified information. The arrest has intensified a growing feud between senior government ministers and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, who has already indicated plans to resign in the coming weeks.

The agent, whose identity remains undisclosed, was detained last Wednesday on suspicion of security-related offenses. Authorities allege he used his access to sensitive Shin Bet systems to pass classified material to unauthorized recipients multiple times.

Ministers Accuse Shin Bet Chief of Political Targeting

Government officials claim the investigation is politically motivated, accusing Bar of using the Shin Bet to undermine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration. The arrest comes on the heels of the controversial QatarGate scandal, which implicates two close Netanyahu allies in allegedly receiving money from Qatar to improve its image in Israeli media.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the arrest “a real regime coup,” accusing Bar of misusing intelligence tools to retaliate against political figures. “This is what it looks like when the deep state fights back,” he said.

Minister Amichai Chikli, who reportedly received the leaked information, defended the arrested agent as a “hero,” asserting that the intelligence exposed surveillance by Bar on a sitting minister and revealed a distorted narrative about the events leading up to the October 7 Hamas attack.

Leak Investigations Rise Amid Gaza Conflict

The Shin Bet acknowledged the arrest and the growing issue of internal leaks, stating that more than 20 investigations into classified information leaks have been launched during the Gaza war.

The agent’s lawyers argue that the leaked material was in the public interest and did not endanger national security. They claim it provides a more nuanced account of the agency’s actions prior to the Hamas-led attack that left over 1,200 Israelis dead and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.

Legal and Political Standoff

Last month, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared he had lost confidence in Bar, and the government voted to remove him. However, Israel’s Supreme Court blocked the dismissal pending review by a special committee, following concerns raised by the Attorney General.

Netanyahu’s Likud party has described the arrested agent as a whistleblower and accused Bar of transforming parts of Shin Bet into a “private militia of the deep state,” working alongside Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara — another frequent target of right-wing criticism.

Opposition Backs Shin Bet Chief

Opposition leaders have rallied behind Bar, condemning the government's attacks on him and the Shin Bet. Yair Lapid warned that such actions are damaging the very institutions that protect Israel’s security. “The Israeli government is a government of criminals that attacks investigators who investigate offenses against state security,” he posted on social media.

Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democrats party, directly connected the campaign against Bar to the QatarGate affair. “When Netanyahu gets in trouble with Qatar, he tries to fire the investigator,” Golan said. “He will do everything to save himself. Netanyahu is dangerous to Israel.”

As the political and security fallout continues to unfold, the Shin Bet — traditionally shielded from public controversies — finds itself at the center of a fierce and deeply polarized battle.