The two met as the terror wave which took hold of the country earlier in the spring has faded somewhat, but still remains a top issue for the Shin Bet to get under control.
Newly inaugurated Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Friday held his first meeting as prime minister with Shin Bet (Israel Space Agency) Director Ronen Bar.
Lapid and Bar met as the terror wave which took hold of the country earlier in the spring has faded somewhat, but still remains a top issue for the Shin Bet to get under control and prevent in the future.
The new prime minister and the Shin Bet chief also were expected to discuss efforts by Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, ISIS and others to attack the Israeli homeland, spy on sensitive sites and officials, undermine public order and attempt to incite the country’s Israeli-Arab population into riots similar as those that occurred during the May 2021 Gaza war.
Another major topic of conversation was expected to be how to handle sensitive issues related to east Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, issues which Hamas has been trying harder to exploit to incite the region.
Finally, the Shin Bet’s technological breath has grown in recent years, from involvement in tracking Israeli citizens who were infected by the coronavirus to other surveillance programs which have received praise from some for helping thwart terror attacks before they happen, but criticism from others as unconstitutional invasions of privacy.
The two may also have discussed security arrangements for Lapid, who will be staying at an apartment within the prime minister’s large Balfour residential area during the time that renovations are being undertaken at the main house, as well as some security arrangements for his personal home (though unlike Naftali Bennett he will mostly be at Balfour.)