Former special forces soldier made enemies after disagreements with far-right factions in Netanyahu governmentIsrael supreme court freezes firing of Shin Bet chiefMiddle East crisis – live updatesRonen Bar, the head of Israel’s powerful internal security service, the Shin Bet, may seem an unlikely rebel.A former special forces soldier who holds degrees from Tel Aviv and Harvard universities, Bar has devoted three decades of his working life to the service of the state. His frame is lean, greying hair close shaved, features gaunt, manner reserved and speech moderate. Continue reading...
Ronen Bar, the sacked chief of Israel's Shin Bet security service, is a former special forces soldier with degrees from Tel Aviv and Harvard. Appointed in 2021, he took responsibility for failures leading to the October 7 attacks, but remained to secure hostage release and protect the Shin Bet. He warned of "Jewish terrorism," criticized policies enabling Hamas' buildup, and linked security threats to social unrest. His dismissal, opposed by the Supreme Court, is attributed by Netanyahu to loss of trust, while Bar claims it's due to "personal interests," potentially affecting investigations like "Qatargate."
