The end of the saga? Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar announces resignation on June 15

Shin Bet director Ronen Bar declared his intention to resign his post on June 15, ending a months-long tug of war with a surprise announcement on Monday evening.

The battle of accusations and leaks between Bar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reached a peak this week in a duel of affidavits filed at the High Court, with both leaders accusing each other of lying.

The cabinet had voted to oust Bar last month following a recommendation from Netanyahu, however, the High Court issued an injunction on the dismissal and is still hearing petitions against it.

Bar’s announcement could provide a compromise solution, enabling both sides to save face instead of dragging the country into a potential constitutional crisis.

Following his dismissal, Bar rejected the decision as illegitimate, causing several ministers to vow not to cooperate with the head of Israel’s domestic intelligence agency even if the High Court backed him.

The resignation announcement came during Bar’s speech at a memorial event for fallen Shin Bet members ahead of Israel’s Memorial Day, which starts Tuesday evening.

Bar acknowledged that his agency “failed in providing an early warning” on Oct. 7, adding, “All systems collapsed.”

“As the head of the organization, I took responsibility for this – and now, on this special evening, symbolizing remembrance, bravery, and sacrifice, I have chosen to announce the fulfillment of that responsibility and my decision to end my tenure as head of the Shin Bet,” he said.

Netanyahu has cited Bar and the Shin Bet’s failure as one of the main reasons for the dismissal, however, Bar argued that Netanyahu wants to replace him with a more loyal leader.

Despite acknowledging his responsibility, Bar also said that “there was no complacency in the Shin Bet. To the contrary, there was a recognition of the Hamas threat,” as well as efforts to tackle it, he said.

“And yet we failed. The truth, and what needs to be corrected, must be established only within the framework of a state commission of inquiry,” he added.

In another remark aimed at Netanyahu, who has been accused of trying to shift all blame for the catastrophe to the security services, Bar noted, “All of us – those who chose public service and the defense of state security as our life mission, and who failed to provide a protective covering that day – must bow our heads humbly before the murdered, the fallen, the wounded, the abducted and their families, and act accordingly. All of us.”

Following Bar’s resignation announcement, the High Court must now decide how to proceed.

Bar's resignation effectively nullifies the petitions against his dismissal, and the court was never likely to rule outright in the government’s favor.

One possibility, which several experts agree has become stronger now, is that the court will decide not to rule on the legality of the dismissal itself, and instead, push the sides to reach a compromise.

If Netanyahu and the government decide to accept Bar’s resignation date, the crisis could be over.

Another issue the court needs to decide is whether it will allow Netanyahu to choose and announce a new Shin Bet chief in the meantime. In an interim order, the court allowed the premier to interview candidates but ordered him not to choose a successor to Bar yet.