Shin Bet head Ronen Bar will appear before the Knesset on Wednesday for a closed session of the Intelligence and Secret Services Subcommittee after an urgent discussion was demanded by the opposition members of the panel, led by MK Gadi Eisenkot.
Bar was invited via a letter to the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yuli Edelstein, that was written by subcommittee members Gadi Esienkot, Sharon Nir, and Ram Ben Barak, "We cannot ignore the grave letter from the head of the Shin Bet. Summon him immediately to present his claims. In a serious attack by a 'political figure' - whose identity is clear to all - an unfortunate and dangerous conspiracy theory has been disseminated."
"As members of the Intelligence Subcommittee, responsible for parliamentary oversight of the Shin Bet's activities, we cannot overlook the severity of the letter addressed by the Shin Bet director to the government," they wrote. "The letter raises serious concerns regarding the government's conduct in urgent matters during the war, including the return of hostages, as well as the underlying motives for the decision to dismiss the Shin Bet chief at this time."
The letter emphasized: "The Shin Bet Law states that the body responsible for Knesset oversight of the agency is the Intelligence Subcommittee. We insist on fulfilling our legal responsibility" summon the Shin Bet director and the prime minister without delay."
Firing Shin Bet head
The government voted unanimously to end Bar's term as Shin Bet chief on Friday morning.
Bar was instructed to end his role on April 10, or when a new Shin Bet chief was appointed by the government. However, the decision was frozen by the High Court of Justice.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first said he would put forward to the cabinet the proposal to fire Bar some 18 months before his term expires on Sunday night.
The prime minister's decision came amid the Shin Bet investigation into Netanyahu aides who were allegedly involved in Qatargate.