The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service.
The vote, held in the early morning of Friday, could still be appealed by Israel’s Supreme Court.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on Friday announcing that the government has unanimously approved the proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the term of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
“Ronen Bar will end his role as Shin Bet head on April 10, 2025, or when a permanent Shin Bet head is appointed – whichever comes first,” it further stated.
Following a meeting with Bar last week, Netanyahu informed him that he would suggest his removal.
Netanyahu released a video statement on Sunday, citing his ongoing suspicion of Bar as the reason for the decision. “At all times, but especially in such an existential war, the prime minister must have full confidence in the head of the Shin Bet,” Netanyahu noted.
Netanyahu further stated that the removal of Bar would be essential for the successful completion of Israel’s war objectives in Gaza and the prevention of the following disaster. The prime minister has frequently criticized the agency, attributing the security breaches to the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people.
Shin Bet, the agency responsible for monitoring domestic threats to Israel, recently conducted an internal investigation that concluded that the agency had “failed in its mission” to prevent the attacks.
