Sun Mar 16 18:32:47 UTC 2025: ## Netanyahu to Dismiss Shin Bet Director Amidst Post-Hamas Attack Fallout

**Tel Aviv, March 17, 2025** – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to dismiss Ronen Bar, the director of the Shin Bet internal security service, this week. This move, following a month-long power struggle, comes in the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the Gaza war.

Netanyahu cited “ongoing distrust” in Bar, which intensified over disagreements regarding responsibility for the Hamas attack. While the Shin Bet accepted responsibility for intelligence failures, it also criticized government policies contributing to the attack’s success. Further fueling the tension, Bar’s predecessor, Nadav Argaman, threatened to release sensitive information about Netanyahu if illegal activity is uncovered, prompting a police complaint from the Prime Minister for blackmail.

This action follows the dismissal or resignation of several other senior security officials since October. Bar was one of the few remaining officials who had not been removed. Netanyahu claims removing Bar will aid Israel’s “war goals and prevent the next disaster,” a move seen by critics as obstructing an official inquiry into the October attack. The Prime Minister is expected to replace Bar with a loyalist, potentially hindering any momentum towards a state commission of inquiry.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel condemned the move as a “declaration of war on the rule of law,” arguing Netanyahu lacks the authority to dismiss Bar given ongoing investigations into his own office. The dispute is further complicated by the Shin Bet’s investigation into Netanyahu’s staff regarding dealings with Qatar and differences between Bar and Netanyahu over hostage negotiations during the Gaza conflict, which led to Bar’s removal from the negotiating team.

Read More