Overview

• Ronen Bar, head of Israel's Shin Bet, announced he will step down on June 15, citing the agency's failure to warn of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
• The resignation follows a contentious dispute with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who attempted to fire Bar in March, sparking legal challenges and mass protests.
• Bar accused Netanyahu of demanding personal loyalty, pressuring him to interfere in the prime minister’s corruption trial, and ordering surveillance of anti-government protesters, claims Netanyahu denies.
• Netanyahu countered with accusations that Bar lied about security warnings before the attack and politicized the Shin Bet, calling it Israel's greatest intelligence failure.
• The Supreme Court had frozen Bar’s dismissal and urged a resolution, with Bar emphasizing the importance of preserving the agency's independence for Israel's democracy.