JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

The right-wing Likud Party, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar of turning the security agency into a "private militia for the deep state" that "undermines the rule of law and foundations of democracy."

The social media post by the party came after the arrest of a reservist in the agency on suspicion of leaking classified information.

Already under criticism for handling the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, Netanyahu had dismissed Bar, but the Supreme Court suspended the decision.

The post, also shared by Netanyahu, accused Bar of “fully cooperating with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to turn parts of the Shin Bet into a private militia for the deep state.”

In March, the government voted to withdraw confidence from Baharav-Miara over policy disputes, a step toward her potential dismissal.

The agency "arrests and interrogates journalists, blackmails police officers and launches baseless political probes against ministers and Knesset members — all to prevent Bar’s removal,” the Likud said.

The party called for an investigation into the alleged leak of classified information to end immediately.

It called the arrest of a reservist in the agency “shocking and grave,” alleging he acted because Bar’s leadership turned the agency into a “political entity.”

Likud demanded an immediate halt to what it called “political investigations” led by Bar, urging him to resign for his “abject failure” on Oct. 7, 2023, and loss of government trust, claiming the Shin Bet deserves different leadership.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, echoed the “deep state” charge against Bar in an X post.

Previously, Bar kept the investigation into far-right police infiltration in the agency confidential until the official allegedly leaked details to Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal, known for right-wing ties.

Netanyahu himself alleged a “deep state” exists in a March 4 Knesset speech, calling collaboration between bureaucracy, media, and this entity “undemocratic,” without naming individuals. The opposition rejects claims of a “deep state.”

The Israeli army renewed a deadly assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

At least 51,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.