Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Ronen Bar, the head of the country’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, because of an “ongoing lack of trust.” The decision, approved unanimously by the government on Friday, cuts short Bar’s five-year term, which was set to end in 2026.
Bar was appointed in October 2021 by the previous Israeli government, which briefly removed Netanyahu from power. His tenure had been marked by tensions with the prime minister, particularly over proposed judicial reforms that divided the country. Their relationship further deteriorated following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which led to the war in Gaza.
An internal Shin Bet report, released on March 4, acknowledged failures in preventing the attack but also pointed to a government-backed policy of maintaining “quiet” with Hamas, which allowed the group to build up its military strength. Bar had previously indicated that he would resign before completing his term, accepting responsibility for the agency’s shortcomings.
Earlier, attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara had challenged Netanyahu’s move to remove Bar, questioning the basis for the dismissal. She argued that the Shin Bet chief’s role was not dependent on the prime minister’s personal trust, calling attempts to frame it as such a “linguistic manipulation.”
Netanyahu dismissed her concerns, asserting in a letter posted on X that the decision to fire Bar was within the government’s “exclusive authority” under Israeli law. He accused Baharav-Miara of overstepping her role and attempting to interfere in security matters during wartime.
Bar responded to his dismissal by reaffirming his loyalty to the Israeli people, stating that Netanyahu’s “expectation of a duty of personal loyalty is fundamentally misguided.”
This is the latest in a series of dismissals and forced departures of senior officials since the Hamas attack. Critics argue that Netanyahu is using these firings to consolidate power and shift blame, while his supporters maintain that he is taking necessary steps to restore security and stability.
