National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir slammed Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar following the violent riots on Tuesday evening when leftists holding torches breached barriers at the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem.

“Just last week, I warned the Shin Bet chief about the disregard for the prime minister’s security and was rebuffed,” Ben-Gvir said. “I demand that the Shin Bet wake up immediately and take the security of the prime minister of Israel and his family seriously. A situation where thousands of people break into the area of ​​the prime minister’s house and the Shin Bet turns a blind eye is unacceptable.”

Likud MK Tally Gotliv stated: “The Shin Bet leadership that failed to protect Rehavam Zeevi and Yitzchak Rabin and also failed on October 7th should know that there is open incitement to assassinate the prime minister. And don’t say you didn’t know.”

Knesset speaker Amir Ohana called on the police to “deter the danger before it reaches bloodshed, chas v’chalilah.”

A senior Shin Bet official told police officials that “yesterday’s incident could have ended with the police firing on the protesters who broke through the barriers and reached the entrance to the building. Red lines were crossed yesterday.”

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu called for Bar’s dismissal, stating: “The one who failed and is unequivocally guilty for the October 7th security disaster, the one who allowed last night’s failure of protesters breaching the security circle at the prime minister’s residence – should leave his position and certainly not appoint people in the image of his failure.”

Eliyahu was referring to a Kan News report earlier this week that Bar, one of the key figures responsible for the October 7th failure, plans on making a number of appointments of senior officials in the coming weeks. The officials will serve an entire term, meaning that Bar will dictate the security agency’s future chain of command.

The report led to an outcry by a number of politicians, including Eliyahu who stated that the responsibility of current government officials is “to change the perceptions of the security systems so that we can live here safely.” He added that if the government officials allow Bar to make senior appointments, they will bear the responsibility for future security failures.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)