Tel Aviv, May 22 -- A dramatic High Court of Justice ruling against the Israeli government's controversial attempt to dismiss a security chief triggered fierce political reactions.

On Wednesday night, the justices struck down the dismissal of Ronen Bar, director of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), calling his firing "improper," "unlawful," and tainted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conflict of interest.

"The government failed to provide a factual basis for removing the Shin Bet chief," wrote Court President Justice Isaac Amit in a sharply worded majority opinion. "At best, it rested on a thin and shaky foundation. At worst, it was arbitrary." Amit stressed that the Shin Bet's independence is vital for maintaining Israel's ...