Government decision: Ronen Bar to conclude his role within 30 days

Ronen Bar’s tenure will end before completing his full term. The government meeting was attended by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and her deputy, Attorney Gil Limon. However, the head of the Shin Bet, was absent and instead issued a written statement.

In a historic move, the government convened to vote on the dismissal of Shin Bet Chief who was appointed in 2021 for a legally mandated five-year term, yet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to remove him prematurely—the first such dismissal in Israeli history, aside from two Shin Bet chiefs who voluntarily resigned before completing their terms.

Under Israeli law, the government has the authority to terminate the tenure of the Shin Bet chief. However, the Attorney General advised Netanyahu that such a decision requires a recommendation from the Advisory Committee for Senior Appointments (the Grunis Committee) and must be based on a factual foundation before dismissal. Netanyahu disregarded this advice and proceeded with the vote. On Sunday, the government is also expected to discuss and vote on a no-confidence motion against the Attorney General, potentially initiating her dismissal process as well.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and her deputy, Attorney Gil Limon, were present at the government meeting. Limon issued a legal opinion stating that the government must consider the advisory committee’s recommendation before convening to dismiss Bar—a step that was not taken.

According to the government proposal, Bar’s tenure will end on April 20, approximately one month from now. Initially, Netanyahu is expected to appoint an interim replacement rather than a permanent one. The decision cites "a prolonged lack of professional and personal trust between the Prime Minister and the head of the service, which, among other things, prevents the government and the Prime Minister from effectively exercising their authority and undermines the service's ability to fulfill its mission."

Bar’s dismissal is part of Netanyahu’s broader plan to replace the entire security leadership following the October 7 attack. This follows the firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the pressured resignation of IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. Netanyahu aims to appoint "loyal" security officials in their place.

Ministers React to Bar’s Dismissal

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir: "The Shin Bet chief opposed the National Guard. He opposed tightening conditions for imprisoned terrorists. Because of his fearmongering, I refrained from ascending the Temple Mount during Sukkot. And what happened, happened. When Shin Bet agents were asked to document my remarks in security briefings—that was the end of democracy."

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar: "The main reason I will vote in favor of Bar’s dismissal is his responsibility for the October 7 failure—something he himself admitted. What does that responsibility mean today, a year and a half later? All other security chiefs have already accepted responsibility and stepped down: the head of Military Intelligence, the Chief of Staff, the head of the Southern Command. So what’s the difference? And who determines the timing of accountability—the Shin Bet chief himself, or the Israeli government, which has sole authority to appoint and dismiss him?"

A senior source in the Prime Minister’s Office responded to Bar’s statement: "The Israeli government, which oversees the Shin Bet, has lost all confidence in Ronen Bar. He is clinging to his position while cynically exploiting the hostages' families and using his role for political maneuvers and fabricated investigations."

"He had the opportunity to step down honorably after his failure on October 7, just like the outgoing IDF Chief of Staff. But instead, Ronen Bar chose not to attend the government meeting concerning his fate—perhaps out of fear of answering one simple question: After knowing about Hamas’ attack hours in advance, why did he do nothing? Why didn’t he call the Prime Minister and prevent the disaster?"

The government’s official decision document states: "Professional trust in Bar eroded throughout the war. Beyond his professional failure on the night of October 7, the Prime Minister now fundamentally disagrees with his security and strategic approach. The Prime Minister believes the Shin Bet must operate according to a different doctrine. The personal trust issue stems from Bar’s apparent failure to understand the agency’s subordination to the political leadership. On one hand, he withheld vital intelligence discussions from decision-makers. On the other, he publicly engaged in matters that should remain within the government’s purview, dragging the agency into political controversies."

Netanyahu’s Rift with Shin Bet Leadership

For the past two years, tensions between Netanyahu and Bar have been well known—especially regarding security arrangements for the Prime Minister’s family, warnings before October 7, and Bar’s stance (along with other security chiefs) on negotiations to retrieve hostages. The push to dismiss Bar intensified as the Shin Bet recently launched investigations into Netanyahu’s inner circle, including the "Feldstein Affair" and "Qatargate," raising concerns about conflicts of interest that could strengthen legal challenges against the dismissal.

One of the most striking aspects of the government’s announcement is its alignment with conspiracy theories alleging that Israel’s security agencies "did nothing" and withheld information from Netanyahu on the night of October 6. These claims, widely circulated since October 7 by Netanyahu’s son, Yair Netanyahu, and his supporters, have now been echoed in an official government briefing.

During the government session, Netanyahu stated: "I no longer trust Ronen Bar. Professionally, that is obvious—it started that night. But I also disagree with his entire approach. I don’t trust that he would inform me at a critical moment. It is unacceptable for a serving Shin Bet chief to publicly promote one of the options for a commission of inquiry. The IDF took advantage of a window of opportunity to replace its command. We must do the same here and approve this decision."

Netanyahu’s son, Yair Netanyahu, also commented on social media: "Ronen Bar is attempting a coup using an armed organization—like in third-world African countries. What kind of delusional movie is he living in?!? He and his deep-state friends should remember who’s in power in America! They need to snap out of their fantasy."