Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the public debate over the Shin Bet's handling of an internal LGBTQ employee group strengthens the organization, reiterating support for director Ronen Bar's decision last week to discharge "progressive agendas" from the agency.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded Wednesday morning to the previous evening's Channel 12 report concerning Shin Bet director Ronen Bar's recent decision to remove "progressive agendas" from the agency — a move that targeted the internal LGBTQ employee cell. In comments to journalist Yaron Avraham, Smotrich said: "I strengthen the hands of the Shin Bet chief in his decision to remove progressive agendas from service, and I am confident he acts out of professional responsibility and for the security of the state." He added that public debate over the matter ultimately strengthens the organization. The minister's statement marks the clearest public backing of Bar from within the government since the story broke. Earlier this week, opposition MK Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid) demanded the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee convene over Bar's actions. The Shin Bet has not issued an official response. The controversy has divided the coalition: some Likud MKs have avoided commenting publicly, while several coalition members from religious parties publicly praised the move.
2 developments
- DevelopingFormer Shin Bet agent: internal LGBT logo battles showed 'political agenda'
- DevelopingMK Ram Ben Barak demands Knesset debate over Shin Bet chief's actions against LGBTQ cell
- StrongZini move at Shin Bet sparks storm: LGBT community outraged, opposition slams "disgrace"
- DevelopingSmotrich orders team to address Shekel's impact on high-tech
Source and signal
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