The Shin Bet was stunned to discover a series of advertisements in Friday's newspapers (April 29) attacking its director Ronen Bar. The ads were signed by the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) faction, headed by opposition Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir.
The ads featured a photo of Bar, alongside an article about an official Shin Bet report concerning Ben Gvir. The Shin Bet report, apparently submitted about 10 days ago, warns that a march led by Ben Gvir to the Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem would play into the hands of Hamas and was likely to ignite the entire region. According to the Shin Bet report, “Ben Gvir’s arrival is a detonator, and a detonator must be defused.” As a result of the report, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett prevented Ben Gvir from visiting the area, given the unrest on April 20, during Ramadan.
