Politics Israel's intelligence chief Bar vacates his post on June 15
Israel's right-wing religious government has long wanted to dismiss the head of the domestic intelligence service - now Ronen Bar himself has announced his resignation. He will leave the post on June 15, he announced in the evening. He cited his agency's failures during the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023 as the reason. He had previously declared his intention to resign for this reason, but had not yet decided on a date.
28.04.2025, 20:49
SDA
Israel's government decided to dismiss the head of the domestic intelligence service in March. However, the Supreme Court later ruled that the Shin Bet chief must remain in office for the time being.
Netanyahu had justified Bar's dismissal by saying that he had lost confidence in Bar after the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023. The decision sparked mass protests, partly because many people in the country accuse Netanyahu of not taking personal responsibility for the political and military failures during the massacre in order not to jeopardize his power.
In an investigation by the secret service into the mistakes that made the terrorist attack in Israel possible, Netanyahu's role was also criticized.
Critics also accuse Netanyahu of being in a conflict of interest, as the Shin Bet is investigating, among other things, people close to Netanyahu for possible illegal relations with the Arab Gulf state of Qatar. Alongside Egypt and the USA, the emirate is one of the negotiators in the indirect talks with the Islamist Hamas, but is also considered a supporter of the terrorist organization.
Bar emphasizes that he will continue to appear at the ongoing Supreme Court proceedings concerning the independence of the authority.
