Embattled Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar says he will step down on June 15, nearly three months after Israel\u2019s government voted for the first time ever to dismiss the head of the security agency. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy love for the homeland and my loyalty to the state are the foundation of every decision I have made in my professional life,\u201d Bar said at an event memorializing fallen Shin Bet agents. \u201cSo it is tonight as well.\u201d <\/p>\n
In his speech, Bar accepted responsibility for the failures of the Shin Bet on October 7. \u201cAfter years on many fronts, in one night, on the southern front, the sky fell. All systems collapsed. The Shin Bet also failed to provide a warning,\u201d he said in his speech in Tel Aviv. Bar explained that part of his reason for stepping down was \u201cin order to allow an orderly process\u201d of picking a successor. <\/p>\n
But it\u2019s unclear if Bar\u2019s tenure will last that long. On March 21, the Israeli cabinet unanimously voted to dismiss Bar from his position as the head of the Israel Security Agency, commonly known as the Shin Bet. <\/p>\n
Bar\u2019s dismissal was to take effect on April 10, but Israel\u2019s High Court froze the firing, enraging Netanyahu and his right-wing allies, who can still mount an effort to fire Bar before the self-announced retirement date. <\/p>\n
Bar has been locked in a bitter feud with Netanyahu and members of his right-wing government. Ministers accuse him of politically motivated investigations designed to discredit the government. The acrimony soared following the QatarGate affair earlier this year, in which a Shin Bet investigation ensnared two close associates of Israel\u2019s long-time leader. <\/p>\n
Last week, Bar said in a sworn affidavit that Netanyahu expected \u201cpersonal loyalty.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was made clear to me that in the event of a constitutional crisis, I would be expected to obey the prime minister rather than the Supreme Court,\u201d Bar said. <\/p>\n
In response, Netanyahu accused Bar of filing a \u201cfalse affidavit,\u2019 asserting that he was fired because he failed in his duty. <\/p>\n
Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right Minister of National Security who has long called for Bar\u2019s firing, said on social media, \u201cGood riddance.\u201d <\/p>\n
Bar received a show of support from opposition politicians. Yair Lapid, the head of the opposition, released a statement saying, \u201cRonen Bar made the right and honorable decision. This is what taking responsibility looks like.\u201d <\/p>\n
The leader of the Democrats party, Yair Golan, said on social media, \u201cNetanyahu, now it\u2019s your turn.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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