Israel attorney general bars PM from naming new Shin Bet chief

Israel’s attorney general on Wednesday barred Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from appointing the next head of the domestic intelligence agency, after the supreme court ruled his decision to sack outgoing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was illegal.

“The court ruled that the prime minister acted in a situation of conflict of interest,” Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said, adding that “as a result, he must refrain from any action related to the appointment of a new head of the Shin Bet until legal guidelines are established to ensure the integrity of the process.”