On Sunday, Ronen Bar, the Director of the Israel Security Agency (ISA), made it clear that he had no plans to resign from his post, despite the Prime Minister’s intent to remove him.
“As someone who has headed the ISA since the October 7th massacre, I took responsibility and stated that I intended to fulfill its obligations before the end of my term, as would be expected of anyone. Therefore, it is clear that the intention behind my dismissal is not related to the massacre. The Prime Minister clarified that the decision stems from his claim that there is a sustained lack of trust between us,” Bar explained.
He continued, “The ISA under my leadership conducted a thorough investigation that indicated intelligence failures and internal processes, which have already begun to be corrected. Alongside this, the investigation pointed out a policy that has been led over the years, with an emphasis on the year preceding the massacre, by the government and its head. The investigation reveals a long-term and deliberate disregard by the politicians for the organization’s warnings.”
Bar further emphasized the importance of looking into the roles played by all parties involved, including the government and the Prime Minister, in addition to the internal investigations conducted by the IDF and the ISA. “The need to investigate all parties involved, including government policy and the Prime Minister, and not only the IDF and the ISA, which have thoroughly investigated themselves, is necessary for the sake of public security. If I do not insist on this, with all the personal costs I will bear, I will fail in my duties for the security of the state. The investigation of the truth is a supreme value in the ISA; the public has the right to know what led to the massacre and the collapse of the security concept of the State of Israel,” he stated.
Bar confirmed that he had no intention of stepping down from his position, stating, “My public responsibility is the basis for my decision to continue in my role in the near future, in light of the potential for escalation, the high security tension, and the real possibility of a return to combat in the Gaza Strip, where the ISA has a central role.”
He went on to highlight the importance of fulfilling his personal and professional commitments, particularly regarding the return of hostages and sensitive investigations. “In addition, I must complete my personal commitment and the service’s commitment to the return of the hostages, the completion of several sensitive investigations, and the optimal preparation of two candidates to succeed me, for the selection of the Prime Minister – as required by my state role and the heightened sensitivity of the ISA, under its mission and under the law that grants it extensive and very sensitive powers.”
Bar revealed that he had previously informed the Prime Minister of his intention to finish these tasks before stepping down, in accordance with his responsibilities. “In a previous meeting, I informed the Prime Minister that I intend to complete the aforementioned before I resign from my position in coordination with him, in light of my responsibility to the public, to the security of the state, and to the functioning of the ISA for the benefit of the State of Israel. As mentioned above, the duty of trust that the head of the ISA owes is primarily to the citizens of Israel – this perception is the basis for all my actions and decisions. The Prime Minister’s expectation for a personal duty of trust whose purpose contradicts the public interest is fundamentally an improper expectation that stands in contrast to the ISA law and against the value of statehood that guides the ISA and its personnel,” Bar concluded.
Following these statements, Bar’s associates confirmed that while he does not plan to resign, he would respect any decision the government makes regarding his future.
In a related update, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a 14-minute meeting with Bar, informing him that he would bring a draft decision to the government regarding his dismissal. This decision comes after a period of strained trust between the two leaders.
According to reports, Netanyahu mentioned who would replace Bar – his deputy M., who was added to the new negotiation team for the second phase of the hostage deal and has played a significant role in it. The team is led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who is very close to Netanyahu.
Netanyahu commented, “We are in the midst of a war for our very survival – a war on seven fronts. At any time, but especially during such an existential war, the Prime Minister must have complete confidence in the Director of the ISA.” He added, “Unfortunately, however, the situation is the opposite: I do not have that confidence. I have a continuing lack of confidence in the Director of the ISA. Distrust that only grew with time. Due to this continuing lack of confidence, I have decided to submit a draft decision to the Government this week on concluding the service of the Director of the ISA. I wish to clarify: I have nothing but appreciation for the men and women of the ISA. They are doing important and dedicated work for the security of us all. As Prime Minister, who is responsible for the ISA, I am convinced that this step is crucial in order to restore the organization, to achieve all of our war objectives, and to prevent the next tragedy.”
A diplomatic source responded, “The outgoing head of the ISA was confused as to who was subordinate to whom.”
“The Prime Minister’s lack of confidence in the head of the ISA is not a personal matter but a matter of public concern, and the head of the ISA’s sanctimonious behavior is damaging to the ISA and to the security of the state,” the source continued.
The source further added, “If anyone had any doubt as to the vital necessity of removing the head of the ISA from his post, we have now received the final answer to that with the anti-democratic response in which he said that he, and not the government, would determine when he would finish his term. So also he decided on the night of the massacre whom not to awaken and whom not to summon.”
The diplomatic source also critiqued Bar’s repeated claim that he had warned politicians about the Hamas attack, pointing to minutes from meetings that contradict this statement. “The head of the ISA is repeating the lie that he warned the politicians of the Hamas attack, while the minutes of the meetings prove the exact opposite: on October 1, 2023, seven days before the massacre, the head of the ISA said that Hamas was deterred and that it was necessary to grant it economic benefits in order to maintain calm. The head of the ISA repeated these claims three days before the massacre.”
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