'End the saga': Shin Bet chief Bar reportedly mulls resignation within weeks after court froze his dismissal

Following last week’s decision by the Israeli High Court to freeze the government’s dismissal of Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, Channel 12 reported that the intelligence chief intends to resign in the coming weeks.

The government had fired Bar, citing a personal lack of trust, marking the first time in Israel’s history that a Shin Bet chief has been removed from office.

However, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara contested the decision, and the court gave them until after Passover, ending on April 20, to reach a compromise.

Bar’s resignation could potentially resolve the legal complications surrounding his dismissal and help avert a constitutional crisis. Such a crisis could arise if the government chose to disregard the court’s ruling, treating Bar as officially dismissed and appointing a successor despite the court’s prohibition.

Bar initially rejected the government’s decision to dismiss him, arguing that he had a public duty to fulfill and stressing the importance of finding a suitable successor.

Now, Channel 12 reported that Bar stated in at least two separate conversations his intention to resign his post within several weeks.

The report added that in the conversations, which focused on the public storm engulfing the domestic intelligence agency, Bar sharply criticized the prime minister, reiterated the need to appoint a successor, and expressed his desire to see the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the failures on Oct. 7, 2023.

Despite personal convictions, Bar reportedly acknowledged that his insistence not to be dismissed and the ensuing legal battle could harm his organization. The Shin Bet declined to respond to the report.

Another report from Israel's Maariv newspaper cited Itzik Bunzel, the father of a soldier killed in the Gaza War, who said Bar told him in a recent conversation that he would resign soon.

Bunzel asked Bar whether he intended to “end the saga of the struggle against his dismissal,” and demanded that Bar accept a concrete date for the end of his tenure.

Bar reportedly replied that he was considering ending his term and promised Bunzel he would personally update him on his final decision.

“Ronen Bar is aware of what is being said in Israeli society about the government's decision to dismiss him and about the struggle he is waging. Bar is not indifferent to this,” Bunzel said.

In the tumultuous hearing last week, the High Court justices negatively highlighted the fact that the dispute was being fought between the government and the attorney general, rather than Bar, whose dismissal was the matter at hand. Bar is, therefore, expected to submit a written statement next week, which could include a specific date for his resignation.

Notably, the court has not yet issued a ruling on the matter itself, with the justices' comments focusing primarily on procedural issues and urging both parties to find a compromise before April 20 – a move designed to prevent a potential constitutional crisis.

At the heart of the current debate over the dismissal of Bar is not the government’s authority to replace the head of the Shin Bet, which all sides agree it has, but rather about the means of doing so, and the timing of the dismissal. 

Baharav-Miara and the other petitioners opposing Bar’s dismissal argue that the move was rushed, did not follow proper procedures, and appeared to have been partially motivated by the Shin Bet’s ongoing 'Qatargate' investigation involving aides in the Prime Minister’s Office.