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Following the publication of the Shin Bet's October 7 internal report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear on Tuesday he wants director Ronen Bar to resign. However, comments made by Bar in the report show that he is planning to do so anytime soon.
Should Netanyahu decide to force Bar’s removal, he would need to call him to a hearing and present sufficient justification for the decision. Yet, even before reaching that step, Netanyahu must address the legal challenges posed by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon has already stated that such a significant decision must be grounded in "a solid and comprehensive factual basis, free of external considerations and consistent with legal and administrative principles."
In a letter, Limon emphasized that "under the current circumstances, if such a process is to be considered, it must undergo prior review by the Attorney General to ensure it adheres to both procedural and substantive guarantees before proceeding." Additionally, Netanyahu would later need to bring Bar’s dismissal to a government vote, though he is unlikely to encounter substantial resistance at that stage.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi openly called for Bar’s immediate removal on Tuesday night. Alongside a mocking caricature of Bar, Karhi tweeted, "The man who knew to send a tequila team to the Gaza border on the night of October 7 because he sensed something terrible was unfolding, abandoned IDF soldiers and the region’s residents to their fate. He thinks he can distract from his failures by resorting to threats. We will not allow someone who remained silent in the face of insubordination, fell asleep, abandoned his duties, or committed crimes to have any influence on Israel’s security future."
On the other side of the political spectrum, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu, saying, "The Prime Minister continues to shift blame onto others. This time it’s ‘they didn’t wake me,’ the cowardly twin of ‘no one pulled on my jacket.’ What did you do when they did wake you? Were you not alerted when warnings about the judicial overhaul eroding deterrence were given? Were you not informed when intelligence reports cautioned of disaster? Were you unaware when you transferred suitcases of money to Hamas? This country has been awake for 515 days. We still have hostages in Gaza. It’s time for you to wake up, apologize, and take responsibility. This happened on your watch."
Recent Shin Bet investigations into the failures of the October 7 massacre had only deepened the rift between Netanyahu and Bar. Findings serve as a damning indictment of the political leadership, which pursued a "quiet policy" with Hamas despite recommendations to act preemptively. Bar has made it clear he intends to remain in his position at least until May, though he does not plan to serve his full term, originally set to end in a year and a half.
The Shin Bet report pointed directly at the political leadership while also criticizing the transfer of Qatari funds and the policy of restraint, which ultimately strengthened Hamas. In response, Netanyahu’s associates launched a scathing attack on Bar, accusing him of failing to cooperate with the State Comptroller and presenting findings that fail to address the scale of the failures. "The conclusions of the Shin Bet investigation do not align with the magnitude of the organization’s and its leader’s failures," sources close to Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu’s office added, "Shin Bet Chief completely failed in everything related to the organization’s handling of Hamas, especially during the events of October 7. Bar misread the intelligence landscape and was trapped in a false perception. During routine intelligence assessments, including just days before the massacre, Shin Bet’s main thesis was that Hamas wanted to maintain quiet and avoid escalation.
"The most serious issue is that Shin Bet and its leader failed to address even the basics of the ‘Jericho Walls’ plan for the destruction of Israel (which was not presented to the Prime Minister before October 7)—neither in routine assessments nor on the night of the attack," Netanyahu’s office continued. "This is despite the fact that Shin Bet had knowledge of the plan as early as 2018. Furthermore, Shin Bet Chief failed to see the importance of waking the Prime Minister on the night of the attack—a fundamental and obvious decision one would expect."
To clarify, Bar did not instruct anyone not to wake the Prime Minister that night. Following Bar’s intelligence assessment around 5:30 AM, instructions were issued to update the Prime Minister's Military Secretary and the Chief of Staff’s director-general. Netanyahu himself delayed appointing an external manager to review the investigations for four months, prolonging the process while prioritizing war-related matters.
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The previous clash between Netanyahu and Bar occurred just two weeks ago, centered on the hostage deal negotiations. A senior official familiar with the matter accused the previous negotiation team, particularly Bar, of mishandling the situation. Netanyahu’s office hinted they were behind the senior official’s claims, as suggested by Lapid. However, a source involved in the negotiations dismissed these accusations, stating, "The hostages’ release was secured because Bar put pressure on Hamas, while Witkoff pressured the Prime Minister. The rest is just an attempt to rewrite history."
Security officials added, "The criticism isn’t clear because, at the end of the day, the agreements and framework for Phase 1 were approved by the Prime Minister. He was involved at every stage and signed off on each step of the process." Previously, security officials involved in the negotiations responded to the accusations, saying, "Everything related to the deal was put together by the original negotiation team. They decided early on that the phases could be consolidated at the end. In any case, there are two phases: live hostages on Saturday and bodies afterward. It’s the same agreement. Hamas wanted to speed things up, understanding Netanyahu doesn't want a Phase 2, and sought to capitalize on Phase 1’s achievements as quickly as possible."
Netanyahu’s office rejected claims that Hamas initiated the acceleration of the release phase, calling it "an echo of Hamas propaganda." They stated, "Two weeks ago, the Prime Minister defined the goal of securing the release of all remaining live hostages from Phase 1 in one stage instead of two. Understandings were reached due to the Prime Minister’s firm stance, his directive to bolster IDF troops around and inside Gaza, and an ultimatum from U.S. President Trump. Let us remind you: Hamas initially refused to release our hostages, violating the agreement. Only Israel’s steadfast position forced Hamas to back down."