Israeli Spy Chief to Step Down After Clash With Netanyahu

The head of Israel’s domestic intelligence service, Ronen Bar, announced his resignation in June after a public and bitter clash with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had fired him earlier in the year amid investigations into his aides’ activities. Tensions flared when critics accused Netanyahu of using the dismissal to consolidate control over Shin Bet or silence an investigation into potential violations during a Qatar deal, while Netanyahu faced multiple corruption trials himself. The two men exchanged signed affidavits after Israel’s Supreme Court halted Bar’s firing, hinting at deeper political and legal conflicts between them.