Netanyahu Dismisses Shin Bet Chief Over Lack of Trust

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he will dismiss the head of the country’s internal security service, Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, citing a lack of trust. In a statement, Netanyahu declared his intention to propose to the Israeli government the termination of Bar’s term, emphasizing the need to restore the organization, achieve all objectives, and prevent future disasters. “Always, but especially during such an existential war, there must be absolute trust between the prime minister and the head of Shin Bet,” Netanyahu stated in his message to the citizens of Israel. He added, “Unfortunately, the opposite is true. I do not have trust.” Ronen Bar responded by stating that his dismissal is unrelated to the October 7, 2023 attacks and criticized the prime minister’s expectations for personal loyalty as conflicting with public interest. Relations between the two men had been strained before the October 7 attack, mainly due to the government’s judicial reform plans. Tensions escalated after the March 4 publication of an internal investigation report that criticized both the intelligence gaps and the executive branch, indirectly criticizing Netanyahu’s policy of calm that allowed Hamas to amass a significant arsenal. The two also disagree on the next head of Shin Bet, with Bar favoring the traditional choice of his deputy, while Netanyahu seeks to impose his own decision.