Shin Bet internal crisis deepens amid recording scandal, Netanyahu feud

ANI April 7, 2025 175 views

A high-ranking Shin Bet official has suspended himself following a controversial recording that exposed harsh interrogation methods against Jewish terror suspects. The incident has escalated tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who are already embroiled in a public dispute over intelligence failures. The recording reveals internal discussions about detaining suspects without evidence and using aggressive questioning techniques. This latest development further exposes the deep divisions within Israel's national security apparatus during a critical period.

"We always want to detain them for questioning, as many as possible." - Shin Bet Official 'A'
Tel Aviv, April 6: The head of the Jewish division in the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) suspended himself on Sunday after a recording of him discussing methods of handling Jewish terror suspects was aired on Israeli TV the previous night.

Key Points

1

Senior Shin Bet official suspended after controversial interrogation recording

2

Netanyahu and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar engaged in public blame game

3

Government attempts to dismiss intelligence chief blocked by High Court

"I made a mistake in my language in a way that is not consistent with the service's values and ethics, and therefore, in order to allow for a thorough investigation and out of my duty to set a personal example, I am suspending myself from my position as head of the division until the end of the comprehensive investigation into the matter," said the Shin Bet official, identified only as A.

In the recording, which was aired on the Kan public broadcaster on Saturday night, A. called terror suspects from Judea and Samaria "scumbags" in a conversation with Avishai Mualem, a senior officer in the Israeli Police's Judea and Samaria Division. A. told Mualem that the Shin Bet arrested Jewish suspects without evidence for evidence and "put them in detention cells, with rats."

A. said, "We always want to detain them for questioning, as many as possible. Look at how Shin Bet interrogations are conducted with them."

When Mualem warned of a backlash, A. replied, "It's being handled by the Shin Bet chief's office with the Minister of Defense."

The Prime Minister's Office said in response that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar should not be involved in A.'s investigation, claiming Bar was involved in the scandal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bar have been blaming each other over what was known before Hamas' October 7 attack and whether it could have been prevented, as well as the "Qatargate" scandal. Two of Netanyahu's key advisers, Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, were arrested on March 31 as part of an ongoing investigation into potential connections between Israeli officials and Qatar.

The government voted to fire Bar on March 21, but the High Court of Justice issued a temporary restraining order against the move. The court is expected to hold a hearing on the matter by April 8.

Bar claims that Netanyahu's decision to dismiss him was influenced by a conflict of interest related to the ongoing investigation.

The Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence service, is responsible for counterterrorism, counterintelligence, internal security, VIP protection, and cybersecurity. The only Shin Bet director to ever leave before the end of his five-year term was Carmi Gillon, who resigned in 1995 in the aftermath of the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. (ANI/TPS)

Reader Comments

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Rachel T.
This is deeply concerning. Security officials should uphold the highest standards, not brag about questionable methods. The self-suspension was the right first step, but we need full transparency in the investigation. 🇮🇱
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David K.
The timing couldn't be worse with everything else going on between Netanyahu and Bar. Feels like our security institutions are being politicized when we need unity most. 😕
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Sarah L.
While the language was inappropriate, let's not forget these officials deal with real terrorists daily. The pressure must be unimaginable. Still, accountability matters.
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Moshe G.
Respectfully disagree with parts of this coverage. The article seems to conflate two separate issues - the recording scandal and the Netanyahu-Bar feud. They're related but deserve distinct analysis. The Shin Bet's work is too important for oversimplification.
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Tamar S.
"Put them in detention cells, with rats"?? This can't be how we treat anyone, even suspects. Makes me question what else we don't know about. 😳
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Avi R.
The High Court needs to resolve this leadership crisis quickly. We can't have our security agencies distracted by internal politics when threats are everywhere.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Netanyahu Shin Bet Israeli Security Intelligence Scandal Ronen Bar Jewish Division
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