The Israeli government has officially decided to end Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar's tenure on April 10, amid growing tensions between Bar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The decision, approved during Thursday's cabinet meeting which Bar did not attend, comes after months of deteriorating relations and follows recent sensitive investigations involving the prime minister's inner circle. The move has already sparked legal challenges, with two Supreme Court petitions filed claiming political motivation behind the dismissal.
A senior political source delivered a scathing assessment: "The Israeli government, which oversees the Shin Bet, has lost all confidence in Ronen Bar who continues to cling to his position while cynically using the hostages' families and improperly using his position politically to fabricate baseless sham investigations. Ronen had an opportunity to resign with dignity after his glaring failure on Oct. 7, as the outgoing IDF Chief of Staff did. But Ronen Bar chose not to attend the cabinet meeting concerning his case, only because he was afraid to provide answers and mainly to respond to one question: why, after knowing about the Hamas attack many hours before it occurred, did you do nothing and not call the prime minister – something that would have prevented the disaster? If Ronen Bar had performed his duties as fiercely as he now clings to his position, we would not have reached Oct. 7."
During the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his position clear: "I no longer have confidence in Ronen Bar. Everything began on that night. I also don't believe in his approach. I don't trust him. I have no confidence that he will speak to me at a crucial moment. It is unacceptable for a serving Shin Bet chief to publicly promote one of the options of an inquiry commission. In the IDF, the window of opportunity was used to replace the command. We need to take advantage of this here too and approve it."
Bar's pointed response to dismissal proceedings
Though absent from the meeting, Bar sent cabinet ministers a strongly worded letter addressing the allegations against him. "It is evident that these charges were created specifically for this process, and most were never mentioned in my conversations with the prime minister. It is no coincidence that there isn't even one example to support them," Bar wrote. "A substantive response to such allegations requires a proper process, including presenting relevant documents, not a show process whose outcome has been predetermined. These are baseless claims that merely disguise completely different motives – foreign and fundamentally improper – intended to disrupt the Shin Bet's ability to fulfill its role with statesmanship."
Bar's letter directly challenged Netanyahu's position: "The proposed decision seemingly implies an allegation that there is a lack of trust between the prime minister and myself regarding the handling of the hostage release issue. Without delving into details, I will note that the hostage release deal recently implemented came about through unique operations I personally led, with the prime minister's knowledge. The deal was achieved according to objectives set by the prime minister, brought by him for cabinet approval, and approved with his support. Against this background, there is no basis for the alleged claim of lack of trust, unless the true intention, which I apparently failed to understand, was to conduct negotiations without reaching a deal."
The Shin Bet chief also disputed claims of a "crisis of confidence" with Netanyahu: "Contrary to what is claimed, there is intensive and effective cooperation between the service under my leadership and the prime minister, which leads to significant results in thwarting terrorism and fulfilling the war's objectives. The service acts to implement the policy set by the political echelon, and will continue to do so."
Opposition vows legal challenge as "Qatargate" investigation looms
In his letter, Bar addressed the ongoing "Qatargate" investigation: "A complex and highly sensitive investigation dealing with Qatar's involvement in the holy of holies of Israeli decision-making. Damaging the investigation through an attempted dismissal is entirely steeped in foreign considerations and a conflict of interest of the most severe kind. This is a direct danger to the security of the State of Israel."
The cabinet meeting proceeded despite a letter from Deputy Attorney General Dr. Gil Limon stating that the government must receive the Advisory Committee on Senior Appointments' opinion before deciding on Bar's dismissal. The dismissal vote had been delayed from Wednesday's cabinet meeting, which focused instead on renewed fighting in Gaza – operations that Bar helped manage alongside IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid issued a scathing response: "The hasty and baseless dismissal of the Shin Bet chief is intended for one purpose only: to stop the 'Qatargate' investigation. Those being investigated in a serious criminal case that endangered national security are firing their investigators tonight. The opposition parties will petition together against this reckless move designed to cover up a hostile state's infiltration of Netanyahu's office."
Legal considerations and conflict of interest concerns
While the government legally has the authority to terminate a Shin Bet chief's tenure, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara had informed Netanyahu that such a decision should receive a recommendation from the Advisory Committee for Senior Appointments – the same body that approved Bar's appointment. Baharav-Miara also insisted Netanyahu must present a factual basis for the dismissal.
The Attorney General had also expressed concern about Netanyahu's ability to convene the government for Bar's dismissal while the "Qatargate" investigation – involving employees in the prime minister's office – remains ongoing. She suggested this created a potential conflict of interest that could legally prevent Netanyahu from moving forward with the dismissal.
Netanyahu is expected to appoint a temporary replacement rather than an immediate permanent successor. The official reasoning behind Bar's dismissal, published Wednesday, cited an "ongoing professional and personal lack of trust between the prime minister and the service's chief which, among other things, prevents the government and prime minister from effectively exercising their authority and harms the service's ability to fulfill its purpose."
The statement added that "during a multi-front war, an urgent need arises to prevent the damage." According to the proposed decision, "beyond the professional failure of the Shin Bet chief on Oct. 7," the prime minister believes Bar's security and strategic approach is "fundamentally wrong and different from what the prime minister believes the Shin Bet must operate according to."
Relations between Netanyahu and Bar have deteriorated over the past two years, with tensions arising from security demands for the prime minister's family, disputes over intelligence warnings before October 7, and disagreements about hostage negotiation strategy. The motivation to dismiss Bar apparently intensified in recent months amid Shin Bet investigations into Netanyahu's closest associates, particularly the Qatargate affair – circumstances that could strengthen legal challenges to the dismissal on conflict of interest grounds.
