Ronen Bar, head of Israel's internal security service (Shin Bet), during a ceremony at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on May 13, 2024. (Credit: Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP)
The announcement was unprecedented. If carried out, the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet would be the first in the history of Israel. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to remove Ronen Bar, who has led the domestic intelligence agency since 2021.The reason: A “permanent lack of trust” felt by the head of government, which “has only grown over time,” Netanyahu said in a recorded video message posted on social media. He also stressed the need to “restore the organization, achieve all our war goals, and prevent the next disaster,” referring to the Hamas attacks on Israeli territory on Oct. 7, 2023. While the prime minister’s office indicated that a vote on the dismissal would take place this week during a special cabinet meeting — on Wednesday, according to Israeli media — Attorney General Gali...
The announcement was unprecedented. If carried out, the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet would be the first in the history of Israel. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to remove Ronen Bar, who has led the domestic intelligence agency since 2021.The reason: A “permanent lack of trust” felt by the head of government, which “has only grown over time,” Netanyahu said in a recorded video message posted on social media. He also stressed the need to “restore the organization, achieve all our war goals, and prevent the next disaster,” referring to the Hamas attacks on Israeli territory on Oct. 7, 2023. While the prime minister’s office indicated that a vote on the dismissal would take place this week during a special cabinet meeting — on Wednesday, according to Israeli media —...
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