Israel, in the midst of war, is heading for a major political crisis. On the night of Thursday, March 20, Benjamin Netanyahu's government unanimously decided to dismiss Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence service.

In early March, the prime minister had tried to force him to resign – to no avail. The cause: The police and Shin Bet are investigating alleged business ties between Netanyahu's aides and Qatar, a country which many Israelis see as supporting Hamas. The scandal, dubbed "Qatargate" by the Israeli media, comes at a time when Netanyahu is already on trial for fraud, corruption and breach of trust in three separate cases. In addition to this first dispute between Netanyahu and the Shin Bet head, there is a second, more political one: In a recent report on the October 7 massacre, the intelligence service pointed out the government's failings – and therefore of the prime minister.

Netanyahu has justified Bar's dismissal by a "persistent loss of professional and personal trust." Bar is due to step down on April 10, or sooner, if a successor is appointed.

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