Ronen Bar (Hebrew: רונן בר; born 25 December 1965) is an Israeli intelligence officer and the director of the Israeli Security Agency (commonly referred to as Shin Bet, Shabak, or ISA) since 13 October 2021. He replaced Nadav Argaman, after having served as his deputy since 2018. Bar was appointed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his nomination was approved by Israel's cabinet on 11 October 2021. He assumed office on 13 October 2021 and was fired in March 2025, though his firing was suspended by the High Court of Israel.
Ronen Bar was born in Rehovot under the name Ronen Beresovsky.[2] Bar joined the IDF in 1984 and served as a soldier and officer in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit.[3] After finishing his military service in 1988, Bar opened a cafe in Tel Aviv called "Bagdad Cafe". He joined Shin Bet as a field agent in 1993,[4] and in 2011 was named head of Shin Bet's Operations Division. Bar became head of the resource development department in 2016, and became Shin Bet deputy chief in 2018.[3] He was nominated as the head of the Shin Bet on 11 October 2021[4] and assumed office two days later.[5]
Bar was initially expected to serve as director until 2026,[5] but in March 2025 was unanimously fired by the Israeli government after Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu claimed to have "lost trust" in him. Bar accused the government of firing him for investigating Qatari involvement and influence in the Prime Minister's Office, in a case known as the Qatari Connection Affair.[6]
Bar holds a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from the Tel Aviv University with honors,[7] and an MA in Public Management from Harvard University. He is fluent in Arabic in addition to Hebrew.
Role in and after Hamas attack on Israel
In an all-staff memo made public on 16 October 2023, Bar took responsibility for failing to thwart the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas. "The responsibility is mine. Despite a series of actions we carried out, unfortunately, on Saturday we were unable to establish sufficient deterrence so as to thwart the attack," he wrote. "There will be time for investigations. Now we are fighting."[8]
In a recording revealed on 3 December 2023, Bar was heard to say that after the 7 October Hamas attack, Israel would kill Hamas's leaders "in every location," even if it takes years. "We are determined to do it, this is our Munich," referring to Israeli efforts to retaliate against terrorists responsible for the 1972 Munich Olympics attack that killed 11 Israelis.[9]
On 20 March 2025, the Israeli cabinet voted to dismiss Bar, effective 10 April, or when a new director is chosen, following a controversy in which Shin Bet was investigating allegations involving staff in the prime minister's office and Qatar.[10] Netanyahu reportedly criticized Bar over his support for a state commission of inquiry over 7 October, which was one of the reasons for Bars' dismissal.[11]Attorney GeneralGali Baharav-Miara had previously said Bar could not be dismissed without prior approval by an advisory committee on senior appointments.[12] On 21 March 2025, Bar's dismissal was suspended by the Supreme Court of Israel[13] following a petition that was jointly filed by Yesh Atid, National Unity, The Democrats and Yisrael Beiteinu, and a separate petition that was filed by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel and “Protective Walls of Israel” Forum.[14]
Personal life
Bar's wife, Dafna, is a sister of entrepreneur Shai Agassi.[15]
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