Israel Weekly News Roundup: Apr 25, 2025
Five things you need to know
Israel at War - Day 566
1. Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar Submitted Dramatic Affidavit to Supreme Court
Ronen Bar, Director of Israel’s secret service, the Shin Bet, submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court in a petition against his dismissal by PM Netanyahu and the government. Bar was fired a few weeks ago because PM Netanyahu claimed that he doesn’t trust him.
It is important to say in this context that right after the October 7th attack, Bar took full responsibility for the failure of his organization to identify Hamas moves and motivations, and completely failed to identify the indications for the upcoming organized wide scale attack on Israeli communities on October 7th. He announced then that he will not stay in office until the end of his term in 2026 and that he will resign as part of his taking responsibility for the security lapse. So far none of the people in office - the PM and other ministers - have taken any responsibility and not one has announced their intention to resign.
A few weeks ago, the Shin Bet opened an investigation into the close circle of PM Netanyahu’s advisors who are suspected of working for the Qataris to improve Qatar’s image in the eyes of the Israelis. Qatar hosts Hamas senior leaders and it is the country that financed Hamas, and practically financed the October 7th attack. Qatar is also the main negotiation mediator for a hostages deal. If PM Netanyahu’s advisors received money from Qatar and were working simultaneously for Israel and for a terror supporting country - this is a major event of troubling proportions. Right after this Shin Bet investigation was revealed, Bar was fired. He intended to resign after the Shin Bet concludes its domestic investigation of the failure of the organization on October 7th. He has also stated that he calls for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to investigate all those responsible for the failure.
A few petitions were submitted to the Supreme Court. During the hearing the court asked Bar to submit a deposition. In the open to the public affidavit (there is also a classified one) Bar told the court that PM Netanyahu made improper requests of him. Netanyahu wanted the Shin Bet to issue a professional statement saying that security conditions prevent him from giving his testimony at the trial against PM Netanyahu for fraud, bribery and breach of trust. PM Netanyahu also asked Bar to initiate surveillance of the key leaders of the protest against him and his government- even when they had not transgressed any laws. Bar also wrote that PM Netanyahu asked him to be loyal to him and not to any court ruling. The affidavit has the status of testimony under oath. PM Netanyahu has denied these accusations and he has to submit his version of the events in a separate affidavit.
Later this week, minister of finance, Betzalel Smotritch announced that he will not participate in a cabinet meeting if Ronen Bar is in the room, other ministers claimed that he was fired and the court can do nothing about it. This is part of the constitutional crisis that Israel is involved in.
2. Holocaust Remembrance Day
This week saw the commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day; 24 hours dedicated to the memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis. In Israel, the day began on Wednesday evening with the traditional formal ceremony at Yad Vashem, Israel’s holocaust memorial center, attended by PM Netanyahu, President Herzog, and other senior officials.
On Thursday, a two minute siren was heard, marking the solemn day. Ceremonies were held in universities, colleges and schools, and in cities and communities around the country. At the ceremony in Hod Hasharon, a city near Tel Aviv, the mayor spoke of the urgent need to bring all the hostages home and added that “we must not keep silent in the face of the atrocities done in our name”, referring to the war in Gaza. Right wing media personalities and politicians were quick to slam him for “incitement” against the IDF.
The annual “March of the Living” from Auschwitz to Birkenau was held on Thursday, in the presence of President Herzog and an Israeli delegation that included holocaust survivors, October 7th survivors and released hostage Eli Sharabi, who lost his wife, two daughters and brother on October 7th. Sharabi reiterated the need to bring all the hostages home and said: “the Jewish people and the people of Israel in particular sanctify life, not death." At the concluding ceremony, released hostage, IDF spotter Agam Berger and October 7th survivor Daniel Weiss preformed together the song ‘Oh guardian of Israel’. Berger played a 150-years-old violin saved during the holocaust.
3. The War On Gaza Intensifies, and the Question is: Who Will Govern?
On Wednesday evening Hamas released a video of one of the hostages - Omri Miran - 48, a father of two daughters. Miran is one of the 21 hostages who are still considered to be alive, out of the 59 who are still held in captivity in Gaza.
Meanwhile the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies. Israel continues to bomb, destroy, send rockets and missiles attacking many targets all over the Gaza Strip, with no humanitarian corridor or zone. The lack of food and medical aid is deteriorating. Famine is spreading all over the Gaza Strip. Israels government has no plan for who will rule Gaza. The big question and most urgent one is who will distribute the food and other aid. In the last few months the humanitarian aid - food and medical supplies- was able to get into Gaza and was distributed by Palestinians. But everybody knows that Hamas takes fees on everything, every commodity, every fuel supply, every electricity and power supply, in short everything, and this is what keeps the terrorist organization going. Since Israel has announced time and again that it doesn’t want to occupy Gaza and establish a military authority that will manage the lives of the civilians there, Israel has to decide who will govern Gaza, and ensure that Hamas doesn’t take advantage of the supplies.
A vocal and almost violent argument about that point erupted at a cabinet meeting, when minister of finance, Betzalel Smotritch shouted at the new chief of staff- Eyal Zamir - who took office less than a month ago - that if he cannot deliver what the cabinet decides and instructs him, he should step down and let another one do the job. Smotritch, who is the head of extreme-right party, Religious Zionist, insists on more intense pressure on Hamas in particular and Gaza in general. Hundreds of people, including many children, are being killed daily due to intense bombing by Israeli forces.
Meanwhile there is no progress in the negotiations to release the hostages. There is a vague option of a ceasefire for 5-7 years, in return for all the hostages. The question of Hamas remaining in power is still unclear. Demonstrations against the government continue, to pressure PM Netanyahu to make all efforts to negotiate a deal. In the main demonstration in Tel Aviv, there was a long line of tens of people, each holding a photo of a Palestinian child from Gaza who was killed. Earlier this week the police issued an order banning people from showing those photos at demonstrations because in may disturb the public order.
4. Man Killed in Rare Shark Attack
Earlier this week a 45-year-old man was killed by a shark at sea, on the coast off Hadera, north of Tel Aviv. His remains were found by a Search and Rescue team after 36 hours of rigorous search efforts that included rescue divers, jet skis and helicopters. The man, a father of four, went into the water equipped with diving gear and a camera to photograph the sharks, according to his wife.
Shark attacks are very rare in Israel. Specialists say that changes to water temperature in April cause fish mortality that attracts the sharks, yet also noted that it was the first time they appeared in this particular coastal area. The police closed the beach as well as nearby beaches to swimmers until further notice.
5. Fires Rage in Several Locations Across Israel
On Wednesday, following a heat wave, bush fires erupted in two locations: on highway six near the city of Rehovot, south of Tel Aviv, and in the Eshta’ol forest near Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh. The forest fires raged for hours as multiple firefighting teams were called, two fixed wing aircraft and one helicopter were called to extinguish the fires, fueled by strong winds. The residents of three nearby communities were evacuated.
Train movements near the fire area were halted and the police urged drivers to take alternate routes after drivers had to abandon their cars on the highway, due to excessive heat and smoke. The fire and rescue services were able to the fires under control after thirty hours, yet warned that the fires may rekindle, due to excessive heat and strong winds. 1,750 acres of forest land were burnt or damaged due to the fires.
PM Netanyahu attended a situation assessment meeting at the fire and rescue services headquarters on the day the fires errupted.
