Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired the head of the national security agency, citing the agency's failure to foresee the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. This dismissal reflects the Netanyahu government's dissatisfaction with the performance of the security services and could trigger further political turmoil.
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03-29, 2025The Israeli cabinet convened on Thursday evening to formally approve the early dismissal of Ronen Bar. Bar was appointed as the director of Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in October 2021 for a five-year term. Netanyahu announced his intention to dismiss Bar in a video statement on Sunday, citing a "persistent lack of trust" between the two, and that this distrust had "grown over time."
This move has sparked strong protests, further intensifying anti-government demonstrations in Jerusalem. Thousands of Israelis have joined forces with protesters opposing Israel's renewed attacks on Gaza. Since Tuesday, Israel has launched fierce attacks on alleged Hamas targets in the Palestinian territory, ending a fragile truce that had maintained a rough calm for two months.
Bar believes that the decision to dismiss him was politically motivated. Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who herself is facing dismissal proceedings and is an outspoken critic of Netanyahu, argued that Bar could not be dismissed before an assessment of the legality of the move was conducted. In a letter sent to government members before the meeting, Netanyahu mentioned a "persistent loss of professional and personal trust" between the Prime Minister and Bar and proposed that his term end on April 20.
The letter stated: "The loss of professional trust was consolidated during the war and went beyond the operational failure of October 7, 2023, especially in recent months." This refers to the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Israel-Gaza war. In the attack, approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Israel responded with a large-scale military offensive, which, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, has resulted in the deaths of over 48,500 Palestinians.
