Resignation of Israel's security chief Ronen Bar leaves trail of unanswered questions

Legal case over Bar's dismissal from Shin Bet has divided Israel and led to mass protests

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Israel's domestic security chief Ronen Bar has said he will step down on June 15 amid a battle at the country's top court with Benjamin Netanyahu over the Prime Minister's decision to fire him.

Mr Bar has contested his sacking in a legal case that has divided Israel and heard conflicting testimonies on events leading up to the attacks led by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.

"After 35 years of service, in order to allow an orderly process for appointing a permanent successor and for professional handover, I will end my role on June 15, 2025," the Shin Bet chief said on Monday at a memorial event for fallen officers of the spy agency.

Mr Netanyahu insists he fired Mr Bar over a lack of trust in his ability. Critics say it was done for political reasons, in particular Shin Bet’s investigation into whether members of the Prime Minister’s staff accepted money from Qatar. The allegation is highly controversial given Israel's war in Gaza against Hamas, the Palestinian militant group whose political leaders are based in Qatar.

Mr Bar is also in favour of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attack, a suggestion Mr Netanyahu has consistently opposed. There are also reports that Mr Bar refused Mr Netanyahu's request to help him delay giving evidence in the Prime Minister's trial on corruption charges.

Mr Bar recently sent a sworn statement to the Supreme Court accusing Mr Netanyahu of demanding personal loyalty. He also said the Israeli leader had ordered him to spy on anti-government protesters.

On Sunday, Mr Netanyahu filed an affidavit of his own to the court calling Mr Bar "a liar".

Israeli security chief to step down after drawn-out battle with Netanyahu

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In his comments to Shin Bet staff on Monday, Mr Bar said the proceedings at the Supreme Court "are not about my personal situation, but about the independence of future Shin Bet heads".

"There is a need for clarification regarding the institutional protections that will enable every future head of the Shin Bet to perform his or her duties, subject to government policy, for the public good, independently and without pressure," he said.

His goal was to "draw a clear line between trust and loyalty", Mr Bar added.

He also addressed the agency's failure to prevent the Hamas attack of 2023.

"After years of many fronts, in one night, on the southern front, the sky fell. All systems collapsed. The Shin Bet failed to provide an early warning," he said. "As the head of the organisation, I have taken responsibility for this."

Mr Bar's dismissal was announced by the government last month but frozen by the Supreme Court, triggering mass protests both for and against the move.

The unprecedented sacking was contested in court by members of the political opposition and some NGOs.

Ronen Bar's dismissal from Shin Bet has triggered mass protests in Israel both for and against the move. Reuters

After an initial hearing, both Mr Bar and the government were required to submit affidavits to the court supporting their arguments.

Last week, in his affidavit, Mr Bar said in the event of a potential constitutional crisis, "it was clear" Mr Netanyahu would expect him to obey the Prime Minister and not the courts.

Mr Bar also said Shin Bet had alerted Mr Netanyahu's security apparatus shortly before the Hamas-led attacks early on October 7. "Nothing was hidden," he said.

Mr Netanyahu's response on Sunday contradicted that statement.

"He did not wake up the Prime Minister. He did not wake up the Minister of Defence. He did not wake up the soldiers of the army" or others before the attack, Mr Netanyahu wrote in his 23-page affidavit.

Mr Bar, he said, "failed in his role as chief of Shin Bet and lost the confidence of the entire Israeli government as far as his ability to continue to manage the organisation".

Mr Netanyahu’s coalition government has been in a battle with Israel's judiciary since it came into office in December 2022. His government's plans to radically overhaul the judicial system – which it says has become too powerful and undemocratic – have triggered mass protests across the country. Critics say weakening the legal system in such a manner would end Israeli democracy by destroying the only real check on government power.