Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar on Thursday evening skipped the government meeting discussing his dismissal, to which he was invited, and sent a four-page letter to the ministers, laying out his claims and suggesting that, as far as he is concerned, the government would not decide his fate, and he would only consider the opinion of legal institutions.
“As someone who has served national security for over 35 years and respects its institutions and the rule of law, I wish to clarify that my decision not to attend the government meeting stems solely from my understanding that this discussion does not comply with legal provisions and rules regarding the termination of any employee, let alone a senior official, especially the head of the Shin Bet,” Bar stated.
He added, “I believe that a precedent-setting and significant decision regarding my dismissal, after I already announced I do not intend to end my tenure as planned, must be based on detailed and substantiated claims, including examples, presented to me for response, including through relevant documents, and after sufficient time has been given for this. Unfortunately, the proposed decision, as worded, includes general, brief, and unsubstantiated claims that do not allow me to formulate an orderly response and seem to conceal the motives behind the intent to terminate my tenure. I note that even in a preliminary conversation with the Prime Minister, despite my request, no examples were provided.”
He continued, “Under these circumstances, I cannot address the claims in the proposed decision, which clearly were crafted for this process and were never mentioned in my talks with the Prime Minister—not coincidentally, without a single example. A substantive response requires an orderly process, including presenting relevant documents, not a superficial one with a predetermined outcome. These are baseless claims, a disguise for entirely different, improper motives meant to disrupt the Shin Bet’s ability to fulfill its role with integrity, according to the law, and for the good of Israel’s citizens—not personal interests—and to prevent the pursuit of truth regarding the events leading to the massacre and serious cases currently under investigation.”
Bar hinted that the government’s decision would not bind him: “The Shin Bet, and I as its head, will act to fulfill the institution’s duties according to law and the decisions of competent legal institutions, as befits a state of law. I have no intention of deviating from this. I will fully address the claims in the proposal and its motives before the forum determined by the competent legal authorities.”
Bar rejected the Prime Minister’s claim of a lack of trust related to the hostage deal: “Without delving into details, the recent hostage release deal was achieved through unique activity I personally led, with the Prime Minister’s knowledge. The deal met the goals set by him, was brought to the government for approval, and passed with his support. Thus, there is no basis for the claim of a supposed lack of trust, unless the true intent—which I may have misunderstood—was to negotiate without reaching a deal. In practice, excluding the Mossad head and me from leading the talks harmed the team and did not advance the release of the hostages, so the Prime Minister’s claim here holds no weight. I reiterate my personal and the Shin Bet’s commitment to do everything to bring the hostages—living and deceased—back to Israel, especially in the current window of opportunity.”
On the “Qatar-Gate” affair, he said, “Interfering with investigations through a hasty and sudden dismissal attempt, backed by fundamentally baseless reasons, reeks of ulterior motives and a grave conflict of interest—both personal and institutional. Firing the Shin Bet head now, at the Prime Minister’s initiative, sends a message to all involved, risking the optimal outcome of the investigation. This is a direct threat to Israel’s security.”
Bar also claimed the Prime Minister barred him from meeting ministers: “Unfortunately, most ministers are unaware of these matters due to the Prime Minister’s directive over the past year prohibiting me from meeting them—a directive whose legality is questionable. Thus, I was surprised to read in the proposed decision a claim that the alleged lack of trust between the Prime Minister and the Shin Bet head harms the service’s ability to fulfill its purpose.”