Former Shin Bet deputy chief Yisrael Hasson criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the recent attempt to dismiss agency chief Ronen Bar, saying in a Thursday interview with Israel’s 103FM radio that the prime minister failed to act as the "responsible adult" expected of a national leader.
“There’s no doubt that working with the prime minister is an interesting and challenging experience for anyone in that role,” said Hasson, who served as the agency’s second-in-command. “The question isn’t whether they should work together, but how that working relationship should be managed,” he said, referencing the reportedly tense dynamic between Netanyahu and Bar.
Hasson went on to sharply criticize the decision to oust the Shin Bet chief.
“Whoever fires the head of the [security] service is the flag-bearer of the failed [strategic] conception,” Hasson said, using language associated with Israel’s repeated failures to predict major threats.
“Does it not matter that [former IDF chief spokesperson] Herzi Halevi and others are all saying the same thing — that there was a systemic failure we must learn from? Apparently, it doesn’t. I’m not saying that Netanyahu should resign. Let him stay. I’m not entering that debate. But let’s at least do the right thing.”
Request to investigate a leak from the security cabinet
Hasson also recounted an incident during his time as acting Shin Bet chief in which Netanyahu asked him to investigate a leak from the security cabinet.
“I said, ‘No problem — but you’ll be the fourth to know who did it.’ The first would be the attorney-general, the second the state prosecutor, and the third the police commissioner,” he said.
“If it’s your friend and you’re politically dependent on him, why should I set you up to fail?” Hasson explained. “I’m a security official serving the state — not a politician.”
According to Hasson, Netanyahu then asked him to leave the room. The following day, another incident occurred when the prime minister rebuked him.
“He told me I was doing harm. I told him, ‘Fine — but you’re still going to be the fourth to know,’” Hasson added.
“We constantly expect the responsible adult to be the leader who unites us and helps us recover,” he added. “That’s not Ronen Bar’s role. If I were in his position, I would have resigned — simply because I wouldn’t be able to handle that situation.”
