Ronen Bar

Netanyahu rejected Shin Bet recommendation to assassinate Sinwar before Oct. 7

Ronen Bar warned Netanyahu of a possible Hamas "earthquake" before October 7 and urged the prime minister to approve strikes on the group's senior leadership.

Shin Bet director Ronen Bar seen at Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem, November 6, 2022
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads Likud into the October 27 election as the ruling party seeks to retain power amid slipping polls and questions over Netanyahu’s future.

PMO publishes Netanyahu's Oct. 7 schedule, reveals he spoke with Gallant earlier than reported

Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director David Zini visits at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem during Memorial Day which commemorates the fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror, on April 21, 2026.

High Court orders former Shin Bet officials who challenged Zini appointment to reveal names

Israeli soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion take part in a military training exercise near the Israeli border with Lebanon, northern Israel, August 20, 2026

IDF general warns talks with Hamas, Hezbollah lack a clear strategy for victory - interview


Calls for Netanyahu's incapacitation increase after Shin Bet chief affidavit

As pressure mounts on Netanyahu, new claims from Shin Bet chief point to actions that could lead to the prime minister’s legal incapacitation.

 ILLUSTRATION: Benjamin Netanyahu and Ronen Bar

'You follow orders': Heated debate erupts in cabinet over Gaza aid distribution

IDF Chief Zamir opposed soldiers distributing aid, to which Finance Minister Smotrich responded, "The IDF doesn’t choose its own missions."

 Israeli minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich attends a Finance committee meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on January 13, 2025.

Bar vs. Bibi in a battle of narratives threatening to combust - analysis

As Israel’s war drags on, a dramatic face-off between Netanyahu and Ronen Bar deepens the divide over leadership, accountability, and the meaning of democracy.

Shin Bet director Ronen Bar seen at Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem, November 6, 2022

Opposition initiates special plenum meeting to discuss hostages, Ronen Bar

The opposition officially filed a request to convene the Knesset plenum for a special session in order to discuss the hostages and incitement against Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.

 PROTESTERS DEMAND the release of all the hostages held in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, earlier this month. Every day of fighting reduces the chance of hostages returning alive, the writer states.

Smotrich slams Bar in letter to Shin Bet employees, Yesh Atid MK responds in kind

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed Shin Bet employees in a letter on Tuesday, following the Monday affidavit submitted by the agency's chief.

 Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

'No need to obey High Court if it supports Netanyahu's removal from position,' Zvi Sukkot says

Sukkot's comments came following Bar's submission of an affidavit to the High Court on Monday against his dismissal by the government. 

 Former MK Zvi Sukkot in Jerusalem. February 6, 2025.

Ronen Bar's battle is for us, we must all stand behind him - opinion

Bar is fighting to preserve the Shin Bet’s independence, that of the next agency chief, and the ability of gatekeepers to stand firm against the Prime Minister.

Shin Bet director Ronen Bar seen at Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem, November 6, 2022

Opposition MKs join protesters demanding hostage deal at Habima Square, violence on Begin Street

The demonstration in Tel Aviv was also intensified due to the affidavit of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

 Protesters call for a hostage deal at Tel Aviv's Habima Square on April 21, 2025.

Netanyahu on Case 1000: There was no ‘supply line’ for cigars, champagne

The hearing took place the same day that Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Ronen Bar submitted an affidavit against the government’s attempt to fire him. 

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at court on day 23 of his trial testimony in Tel Aviv, April 21, 2025.

A new legal formula for fixing future PM, Shin Bet relations - analysis

Future prime ministers and Shin Bet chiefs need to know how far they can go and where there are guardrails.  

Shin Bet director Ronen Bar seen at Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem, November 6, 2022