Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, announced his resignation effective June 15, 2025, amid escalating tensions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bar’s departure follows a contentious period marked by Netanyahu’s attempt to dismiss him, citing a loss of trust. Bar countered, alleging that Netanyahu sought his removal for resisting directives to surveil Israeli protesters and interfere in the Prime Minister’s ongoing corruption trial. These allegations intensified nationwide protests and raised concerns about the politicization of Israel’s security institutions. The Supreme Court intervened, temporarily halting Bar’s dismissal and urging a compromise .
Bar’s tenure has been under intense scrutiny, particularly due to the agency’s failure to prevent the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which led to the ongoing war in Gaza. He had previously signaled his intention to step down early, accepting responsibility for the Shin Bet’s shortcomings. His resignation is expected to conclude ongoing legal deliberations and has intensified criticism that Netanyahu is deflecting responsibility for the intelligence failure onto the security establishment .
Bar’s resignation adds to a series of high-profile departures within Israel’s security apparatus, including Major General Aharon Haliva, the military intelligence chief, who stepped down in April 2024, acknowledging failures leading up to the October 7 attacks . Despite mounting pressure, Prime Minister Netanyahu has not taken responsibility for the security lapses, stating that a full inquiry should wait until the war in Gaza concludes. Opposition leader Yair Lapid praised Bar’s integrity and condemned Netanyahu’s resistance to accountability